


Help Me

by theblackveiledprincessbride



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Amanda (Detroit: Become Human) Being an Asshole, Amnesia, Android Revolution (Detroit: Become Human), Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Anti-Android Sentiments (Detroit: Become Human), Dark Past, Depression, Deviant Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Eventual Romance, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Hank Anderson & Connor Friendship, Human Experimentation, Human Trafficking, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'm Bad At Summaries, I'm Bad At Tagging, I'm Sorry, Major Original Character(s), Mental Anguish, Mental Instability, Mystery, Original Character(s), Past Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Past Torture, Pre-Deviant Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Protective Connor (Detroit: Become Human)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-18
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:07:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 36,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22300822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theblackveiledprincessbride/pseuds/theblackveiledprincessbride
Summary: 'Callie, wake up! You need to get out of here. Callie? Don't you remember me? Don't you remember anything? No, of course, you wouldn't. Not after what they did to you. But you need to remember. Get help before you bleed out and die. Run. Don't let him find you. If The Master finds you, you're dead. Actually dead this time. Go now. We can't distract him and the others for long.'"That's the only thing I remember, Connor. I don't know who this 'Master' is, I don't recognize that voice, I can't remember anything before waking up in that lab and running away to the hospital. And meeting you." I huffed, frustrated we weren't making any progress. I leaned my head on Connor's shoulder, him laying his head down on top of mine as a response."We'll figure this out. I promise Callie." He said, before taking my small hands into his and squeezing them reassuringly. "It is apart of my mission, after all. And I always accomplish my mission."
Relationships: Connor (Detroit: Become Human)/Original Female Character(s), Connor (Detroit: Become Human)/Reader, Connor/Original Android Character(s) (Detroit: Become Human)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 30





	1. Callie

**Author's Note:**

> Hello. Before you read, I just want to apologize in advance. I wrote this immediately after I finished playing the game and on ZERO hours of sleep. So please don't hate me. I'm also very sorry about the summary, if you have any suggestions on how I can improve it or in any of my writing, please let me know! I hope you enjoy!

****

**November 6th, 2038**   
**12:50 a.m**

_**(Connor's PoV)** _

"The truth is inside," The bloodied and beaten android mumbled to me defeatedly, as it followed the police officer out of the interrogation room. 

_**Software Instability** _

My brows furrowed with wonder, my LED glowed a light gold and spun with anticipation. _What could it possibly mean? 'The truth is inside'? Inside of what?_ I thought, trying to make this new piece of information align with what I already gathered at the crime scene. However, my thoughts were cut short when I felt a hand on my shoulder. 

"C'mon Connor, let's go," Hank said, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He turns out of the room and stops. 

"Nice job getting that android's confession." He grumbled lowly, barely audible for a human to hear. But I heard it loud and clear. 

"Thank you, Lieutenant." He grumbles at my expression of gratitude as I followed him out of the room. 

"Hey, Hank!" Another officer jogged up to him from the other side of the police station. 

"What?" Hank barked, annoyance heavily dripping off his tone. 

"Just got a call from Detroit Receiving Hospital; an android there is terrorizing the medical staff." 

"Oh, Jesus! I'm not getting any sleep tonight, am I?" 

**Detroit Receiving Hospital**

Loud heavy metal music blasted at full volume through the speakers of Hank's car, I looked over and observed him in silence, noting how often he yawned and rubbed his eyes, indicating signs of fatigue. 

_Hopefully, this doesn't get in the way of this investigation_. I thought as we pulled in front of the Emergency Room entrance of the hospital. Red and blue flashing lights lined the avenue, cascading streaky shadows on the surrounding buildings. Hank turned off the ignition with a quick twist of his keys and proceeded to exit his vehicle as I followed en suite. 

"Same rules apply at Ortiz's, Connor. You don't touch anything, and you stay out of our way. This should be a quick 'apprehend the android' task. 'Ya hear me?" Said Hank, with a warning tone in his voice. 

"I will try to make this as painless as possible. However, should complications arise, I will not hesitate to do what is necessary, Lieutenant." I answered, trying to accommodate Hank's wishes. 

"Fucking hell. . ." He muttered while irritably rubbing his temples as we entered the hospital. Vivid white lights and the strong smell of bleach immediately enveloped us as we approached Ben. 

"Busy night, huh Hank?" Ben quipped, with a taunting smile playing on his features. 

"Just give me the run-down, Ben. I want to go to bed as soon as possible." Hank said dejectedly. 

"I just finished talking with the ER charge nurse and a few security guards, and this one is by far the most bizarre case we've covered involving androids yet."

"What the hell happened?" 

"A female android, can't get an exact model or serial number yet, came in seeking medical attention for apparent damages, like it was a human! Even claimed to be one." 

"A deviant convinced it was human? That's new." 

**LOCATE AND APPREHEND DEVIANT**

I scanned my surroundings, noticing that a female ST300 android was behind the front desk. I quickly approached it and grabbed it's arm; probing its memory:

_A female android with long pale blonde hair, light skin, and blue-grey eyes hurriedly approached the front desk with a slight limp in its step. The android's clothes and appearance were slightly ragged; its black leggings were torn and exposed small streams of Blue Blood running down its leg components, it's white shirt had multiple dirt and grass stains._

_"Please, can you help me? I'm hurt!" It exclaimed, fear evident in its tone as it tugged it's jacket closer to its body._

_"Hello? Can you hear me? Please, I need some help," it's tone was beginning to become frantic and desperate. It slammed the counter with its hand in frustration and began to look around for someone else._

_"Hello?! Can anyone please help me?!" It shouted as it began to walk behind the front desk toward the nurse's station._

_"I'm sorry, this area is to be only accessed by authorized personnel. Please exit now."_

_"If you're not gonna help me, then I'll find someone who will." It boldly stated and continued on its path._

_"Please exit now, or security will be called."_

_"Hello?!" It yelled again, completely ignoring the ST300's warnings._

_"Calling security."_

_A few seconds later, a heavy door opened and closed with a boom._

_"Hey! What's going on here?!" One of the security guards yelled._

_"I just need-" it began to plead once again for aid, only to meet a direct punch to the jaw._

_"Fucking androids," one of the security guards snarled in absolute disgust. It fell to the floor with a heavy thud. Slowly, it started to look up at the guards, holding its jaw with a look of pain in its watery eyes._

_"W-why are you doing this? I'm not an android-" It begged in complete affliction, practically on the verge of tears. The only response it got was a hard kick to the stomach from the second security guard. The deviant woman doubled over as if it was in pain; it even coughed. It slowly started to get up and rushed towards the guards, trying to slip past them._

_"HELP! SOMEBODY! PLEASE!" It screamed as loud as it could. The guards quickly caught it and restrained it by its shoulders, lifting it into the air. It visibly winced harshly at this action and cried out in agony._

_"Little bitch has some fight in her, let's lock her in a room," one of the guards said before looking straight at the receptionist android. "Hey, call the police. Tell them we got ourselves a deviant."_

_"Hey, stop! Please! Let me go!" It struggled to get out of their grip as they tugged the android woman away._

_"Shut up, bitch!" It yelped again as a loud slap of skin-on-skin could be heard._

I let go of the ST300's arm, releasing my hold on its memory, having seen enough. I turned back to Hank and continued to listen to the briefing. 

"Security footage shows the android becoming more and more aggressive the more it was ignored, it got to the point that security had to restrain and confine it in a room," Ben stated, as he began to lead Hank and me past the front desk and nurses station. We continued down a long corridor until we met with two security guards standing in front of a room. The same guards that apprehended the deviant. 

"Our deviant girl is in there?" Hank asked. 

"Yep, she's all yours. I'm going home. Night Hank." Ben turns on his heel and leaves quickly. I peer through the small window on the door, observing the petite android woman. It sat in the far right corner of the small padded room with its legs folded up against its chest and face nestled into its knees. 

**DEVIANT LOCATED**

I stepped back as one of the guards grabbed his keys and unlocked the room for us. He opened the door, all the while glaring daggers at me the whole time. As if he despised the very concept of holding a door open for an android. 

"Thank you," I said genuinely, he curled his lip back in total disgust. 

I entered the room, Hank following behind me. The android woman shot up defensively as its breathing became erratic with panic. 

"It's alright, we're not going to hurt you," I reassured it in a calming tone, holding my hands out to show I meant no harm. Its physique eased slightly at this, but it was still tense with fear. 

"W-who are you? What d-do you want?" It's entire being trembled as it spoke, it's bluish-grey optical units tearful with a look of despair. 

"My name is Connor. I'm the android sent by CyberLife. And this is Lieutenant Hank Anderson. We are here to escort you down to the police station for questioning." I slowly approached it before lowering myself to my knees, all the while keeping eye contact. 

"Am I being arrested? I didn't do anything wrong!" Its fear and panic were beginning to take over as tears streamed down its pale cheeks. 

"No, you're not being arrested. We just want to ask you a few questions." Hank answered, his tone laced with tenderness and patience. It looked down at its hands in thought, quietly fidgeting with the hem of its green jacket. 

"O-ok," it whispered, wiping its tears with its jacket sleeve. I stood up from my knelt position and offered a hand to help it. It looked shocked as if this insignificant gesture was kindest anyone had treated it in a long time. It was really. . . _sad_. 

Slowly, it slipped its left hand into mine; it's fair skin peeling back to reveal its pure white android hand as mine did the same. 

I carefully pulled it onto its feet, noticing how it winced harshly and nearly fell back onto the padded room floor. Luckily, I slipped an arm around its waist before it could fall. 

"When we get to the station, show me where you're damaged. I can try to make repairs the best I can." It nodded as a response before it yanked its hand out of mine in sudden trepidation. 

It followed Hank out of the room with me following closely behind it, giving it no chance to escape. It glared at the two security guards that beat it in utter hatred as we walked past them, I placed a hand on the small of it's back to gesture it to keep moving. 

"Thank you, have a good night, gentlemen," I say, with a small smile tugging the corners of my lips. 

"Plastic asshole. . ."

**DEVIANT APPREHENDED**

*~*~*~*

It wasn't long until we were back at the police station. The android didn't give Hank or me any trouble during its escort. I gently guided it through the police station with a hand on it's back, leading towards the interrogation room with Hank not far behind. I pressed my hand against the sensor beside the door, the skin of my hand peeling back. From the corner of my eye, I saw the deviant tilt its head as if it were curious about what I was doing. 

"I'm going to let you take this one too. Did such a good job with the first one, let's see if you can do it again, Sherlock." Hank said, pressing his hand against the sensor and entered the observation room. 

"Whatever you say, Lieutenant." I lightly led it inside the room and gestured towards the chair on the other side of the table. It did as it was told and took its seat, I almost admired how astonishingly well the deviant girl was cooperating. Perhaps CyberLife could spare or delay it's deactivation as a reward. 

As soon as I sat down, I began an analysis to identify it's model and its condition. I scanned its face, and my eyebrows furrowed in confusion when a police report came up. 

**MATCH:**   
**WOODS, CALLIE**   
**Born: 12/21/2017 / / MISSING- 04/15/2034**   
**Criminal record: None**

_What? No- this has to be a mistake. This is an android. This is definitely an android._ My thoughts distressed, as I kept looking at it's LED and thought back to how its skin removed itself when I touched it, trying to debunk these absurd possibilities logically. _Maybe this android just looks like a missing girl. There's absolutely no way. . ._ I quickly shook off these thoughts and continued to scan the deviant's condition.

**PROCESSING LED**   
**Signs of software instability**   
**Probability of self-destruction: LOW**

**100% COTTON Shirt**   
**Grass stains**   
**Black Carbon**   
**Traces of Thirium**

As I was analyzing it, I noticed a strange purplish stain on its white t-shirt sleeve beneath the jacket. 

"May I please see your shoulder?" I asked it calmly. It visibly grimaced at my request, but it carefully reached over with its right hand to cautiously remove it's green jacket, revealing a wet plum-colored stain. I saw the pain in its eyes, it wordlessly begged me not to proceed, but I couldn't tell the reasoning behind it. 

As I waited for it to draw the fabric over its shoulder, I tried to analyze what the strange aqueous matter was. I had a theory- but for once, I hope I was wrong. 

**FRESH BLOOD**   
**DNA Analysis: WOODS, CALLIE**

**THIRIUM**

My LED was probably a bright gold and spinning crazily right now. _This isn't possible. . ._

I watched in anticipation as the girl in front of me, cringed in total pain as she lifted her sleeve down over her shoulder. The sight was disgustingly horrific. 

Suddenly, the interrogation room door slid open, revealing an appalled Hank. "Holy fuck!" He exclaimed as he looked at her shoulder more closely. 

Dark, painful bruises littered her collarbone, over her shoulder and outlined her shoulder blade- meeting a thick, bloody mess of deep black scabs and severe 3rd-degree burns. It looked. . . It looked like someone had amputated her arm then tried to weld it back onto her body. 

"Oh my god. . ." Hank cried out, practically on the verge of tears. Tears were rolling down the young woman's cheeks as violent restrained sobs warped through her entire body. "Connor, stay with her. I'm going to get the first aid kit." Wasting no time, Hank stormed out of the room hastily. 

Quickly, I tried to collect myself. But more and more questions came to mind- No, no. I had to stop myself from asking those questions manually. She needs medical attention first and foremost. Then I may ask questions. 

I stood from my seat and cautiously maneuvered her jacket entirely off and laid it on the steel table. "Everything is going to be alright, I promise," I whisper in a comforting tone, before tucking her long blonde hair back behind her ear. I carefully brushed her pale strands out of her wound and over her right shoulder, making sure her injury had no other foreign substances in it.

Hank soon came back with a large white first aid kit and laid it on the table. I quickly grabbed the medical scissors and started to cut her sleeve off, allowing room for me and Hank to help her to the best of our abilities. Kneeling, I placed a gentle hand right above her exposed elbow, carefully lifting it to cut around her underarms. 

Without warning, the skin of her arm began to peel back slowly. My thirium pump was about to pump right out of my chest as I watched, entranced, as her flesh gradually traveled up over her bicep before stopping abruptly at the thick, fresh scars on her shoulder. I glanced up and locked contact with her stormy pools. 

_She's part human, part android._


	2. Healing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hank and Connor take Callie back to the hospital. Callie's captor becomes aware of her escape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was pretty hard to write. I don't know if it's noticeable or not, I'm really sorry if it is. Please let me know what you think. I hope you enjoy!

**_(Connor's PoV)_ **

_This shouldn’t be possible, this can’t be possible! CyberLife technology isn’t physically compatible with being a human prosthesis. The metals and other materials needed to create the different components are incredibly virulent to humans. And-the Thirium running through her body-_

“Connor, are you ok?” Hank’s voice suddenly snapped me out of my racing thoughts. I looked up at him for a slight moment, finding concern lacing his features before looking back at Callie, painful tears still rolling down her chapped cheeks in steady streams. 

“I’m-I’m fine,” I said, my tone not very convincing, not even to myself. 

I quickly finished cutting off her sleeve, trying not to think too thoroughly about this young girl’s impossible situation. She needs medical attention. Focus on that, I told myself, as Hank handed me an ice pack and some bandages. 

I looked at what the grey-haired man handed me and back at the terribly blistered flesh on her shoulder. This won’t be enough, I realized, but it’s better than nothing until she sees a doctor. I gently pressed the ice pack as cautiously as I could against her damaged arm, trying to hold her as still as I could, predicting that her future actions were going to resist. 

Callie released an anguish-filled cry and snapped her arm away from my grasp unintentionally, as expected. “I’m sorry, but you need to hold still,” I say calmly. 

“I know, I’m sorry.” She whispered in a low, hoarse tone. The blonde girl offered her shoulder back to me, allowing me to apply the ice pack successfully this time. 

“Do you have any other injuries, kiddo?” Hank asks, starting to pull more bandages out of the first aid kit. 

“M-my legs. . . I-I didn’t get to look at them as I did my shoulder, but they hurt just as bad.” Callie began to stutter over her own words with a slight tremor in her tone. If her shoulder was this bad, I didn’t want to imagine the horrors that were beneath her shredded black leggings. 

“Jesus Christ. . .” He whispered in a low, appalling inflection. 

“May I ask you something?” I asked, applying slightly more pressure to the ice pack while unwinding the roll of bandages. I looked up at her, awaiting her response. Her head bounced in allowance. 

“What happened to you? Who did this?” My words made her visibly cower, but I couldn’t distinguish why. Fear? Resentment? What was it?

“Connor! What the fuck is wrong with you?!” Hank angrily shouted, before slapping the back of my head harshly. 

I observed her reactions closely while I administered a bandage over the top of the ice pack, securing its pressure comfortably. Her LED swirled a lemon color momentarily as if she was thinking intensely. Suddenly her pale features twisted in immense pain, a low groan escaped from the back of her throat as her stormy blue eyes squeezed shut. 

“I... I don’t know.” She says wearily while leaning herself against the table. 

“Callie, please. We can help you, but you have to talk to us.” I pleaded, encompassing her small snow-white hand with mine in a comforting fashion. 

“Why did you call me that?” Callie asked, her eyebrows furrowed and stared at me in complete bewilderment. 

My expression fell from my face as my mind, and Thirium pump began to race a mile a minute. For the first time ever, I found myself utterly speechless. Did I do something wrong when I scanned her? I wondered. No, that can’t be it. All my program statuses were fully functional and working correctly. Maybe. . .

**UNSPECIFIED AMNESIA DETECTED**

“Because that’s your name. Callie Woods,” I said slowly as if I were explaining something to a small child. I carefully examined her facial reactions to my words, yet her face still glared at me in disbelief. “You were born on December 21st, 2017. You’re 20 years old.”

“Connor, what are you doing?” Hank interrupted, obviously not liking where I was going with this judging by the stress in his voice. 

“You’ve been missing for over 4 years now. Possibly kidnapped.” An audible gasp was released from her light pink lips, her eyes began to tear up once again as realization began to set in. Callie’s LED spun yellow for the longest time before flashing red in distress. 

“Callie. . .” She muttered to herself, almost in recognition of her name. “My name is Callie. H-how could I forget my own name?” 

“I detected that you may have some sort of amnesia. It would be highly advised that you seek professional medical attention. Especially regarding your injuries.” I say, more to Hank than to Callie, who nodded with me in agreement. 

“Let’s go then, sooner rather than later,” Hank said, standing up straighter and turning towards the door. I quickly arranged everything back inside the first aid kit and latched it shut. 

“Ow!” Callie gasped out, her voice clearly in pain. I immediately snapped my head up in attention to see the young woman struggling to put her jacket back on. 

“Here, let me,” I reached out and took her jacket, guiding her creamy white arms through the sleeves with extra caution. 

**CALLIE STATUS**  
**NEUTRAL^**

“Thank you,” she mumbles sweetly with a smile, slightly curving her delicate features.

“You’re welcome, let’s get going.” 

**Detroit Receiving Hospital**

_**(Callie’s PoV)** _

“Callie? Callie, wake up. We’re here.” I stirred softly in my sleep, blinking a few times only to see Connor standing over my body in the backseat of Hank’s car. My heart began to beat a mile a minute as adrenaline suddenly rushed through my veins like venom, my body shot up and pushed itself back as far as it could. A breath got caught in my throat, I felt as if I couldn’t breathe.

“It’s okay. It’s just me,” Connor spoke his words in a calm, relaxing tone. “I didn’t mean to startle you. We’ve just arrived at the hospital. Hank is currently working on getting you checked in. It’s alright now,” he held his hand out for me to take. I inspected it silently and carefully before placing a hand in his care. He gently pulled me out of the backseat of Hank’s car before shutting the car door as quietly as he could. 

“Come on,” he instructed me to follow him. I glanced one last time at Hank’s car before following the dark-haired android through the doors of the emergency room. 

_I don’t even remember falling asleep..._

“Hey! What the fuck are you doing back here, you little cunt?!” I jumped at the sudden harsh tone that boomed throughout my surroundings. Panic sent my entire system into a state of shock, _w-what did I do wrong?_ I immediately thought, quickly looking around my environment. My eyes eventually landed on a large African American man, stomping angrily towards Connor and me. 

The security guard from before... The one that beat me... _Oh no_ , I thought. My bottom lip started to quiver, and tears began to form in the corners of my eyes. I closed my eyes and unconsciously readied my entire body for the kicks and the punches, the slaps, and the different punishments that were certain to come. _I-I deserve this._

“Excuse me, I’m sorry, but there was a mistake. This woman is not an android.” I gasped, my eyes shot open to see Connor standing in between the guard and me.

“The hell she isn’t! I see that piece of shit sticking out of her forehead. Get the hell out of my way, tin-can!” 

“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that. This woman is gravely injured and requires medical care. Please, excuse us.” Connor says in his calm tone, before reaching over and placing a defensive arm around my waist, guiding me towards the waiting room to find Hank. I found myself staring up at him, completely baffled by his actions. And judging by the guard’s expression, so was he. 

_W-why isn’t he letting that guard hit me? I did something wrong, didn't I? Why aren’t I getting punished? Isn’t that how it works?_

“What the fuck is going on out there?” Hank asked, with a clipboard on his lap.

“Just the guard from earlier. Nothing you need to worry about.” Connor answered before taking a seat next to Hank. 

“Whatever,” He shook his head, returning back to the paperwork in hand. I cautiously sat on the edge of the seat next to Connor, fumbling nervously with the hem of my jacket. 

Thousands of mixed-emotional thoughts entered and passed through my mind faster than the speed of light. Most of them were full of bitter pessimism and questions I don’t even know where I could possibly find answers to. _What if they throw me out again? What if they beat me worse than before? Are these people really trying to help me, or are they going to hurt me too? Why me? What did I ever do to deserve this? What was I running away from? What happened to me? Is this really going to get better? It won’t. It never will. I-I don’t think I can take this anymore- No! Don’t you dare think like that-_

“Hey,” I immediately jolted from my seat as soon as I felt a large warm hand on my shoulder, my entire body stiff in defensive mode. I locked my gaze with a pair of stunned blue orbs. I’m okay, I told myself, recognizing Hank. My body finally allowed itself to relax. Nobody was going to hurt me. 

“S-sorry. You just startled me,” I sadly apologized, seeing the hurt in the man’s sky-colored eyes. 

He nodded as a response, his composure softened a bit at my words. “They’ll see you now, Callie.”

“Okay,” I breathed. Looking over my shoulder, a dark-skinned nurse with a kind smile waited patiently for me. Okay, here we go. 

_***~*~*~*** _

A golden, flickering blaze bounced off the dark edges of the dimly-lit room. Snaps and crackles of the blistering fire filled the devastating silence, besides the gentle breathing of a middle-aged man in a dark suit with dark brown hair streaked with various shades of grey and cold ash-colored eyes. He sat in a purple velvet armchair in front of the stone fireplace, hands gently intertwined with his stubbled chiseled chin resting comfortably on top. Staring intently into the roaring flames with a thoughtful look on his face.

The soft pitter-patter of approaching footsteps suddenly filled the quiet air around the man. The sound of a large, heavy door opening and closing erupted as an android slowly advanced towards the man. 

“Sir, we just got a call from the Andronikov residence. Ms. Woods has escaped.” The male android neutrally stated. 

The man continued to stare into the fire as if slowly processing what the android had just reported. Placidly, the man stood from the chair, grabbing an iron poker leaning against the dull stone of the fireplace and examined it, testing its weight in hand before launching it like a spear violently. Piercing the male android straight through its chest. 

“Where. Is. She!?” The man fumed, his hands balled into tight hard fists as he slowly approached the fallen android with a look of mania in his eyes.

“He didn’t say, Master. I-” A large pale hand roughly grabbed the poker lodged in the android’s chest cavity and ripped it out. The man raised it over his head, striking and stabbing the robot endlessly in boiling anger. 

The Master tossed the poker to the side, watching as the android’s lifeless body crashed to the floor in a puddle of navy-blue blood with a look of sadistic satisfaction.

“Gabriel!” He called out, wiping the splattered Blue Blood off his face with the back of his hand. 

“Yes, Master?” Another android, an MC500 model dressed in a brown leather jacket, a plain white t-shirt, dark jeans, and black work boots, entered the room. 

“It seems Ms. Callie has escaped before she could be completed. I want you to find her and bring her to me,” The Master instructed, strolling lazily over to a small oak desk in the corner of the room, opening a drawer and extracting something from within. “Don’t let anyone or anything get in your way. Bring her back, by any means necessary.” 

The man slid a handgun into the android’s hand. A small, determined smile curved across the MC500’s lips as his eyes scanned the weapon with a look of excitement. 

“I won’t fail you, Master. I promise.” The man smiled, pleased with the android’s response. He leaned close to his face, tenderly brushing his lips against Gabriel’s. 

“I know you won’t,” he said, stroking the android’s cheek lovingly with a soft smile. “Now go.” 

“Yes, sir.”


	3. Impossibly Compatible

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I'm super proud of how this chapter turned out. It was really fun to write and SO much happens in this chapter. I hope you enjoy!

**Detroit Receiving Hospital**   
**November 6th, 2038**   
**7:01 AM**

**_(Connor's PoV)_ **

_Plink!_

_Plink!_

_Plink!_

I stood outside Detroit Receiving Hospital, having just exited a taxi a few moments before. Unconsciously, the quarter danced along the backs of my finger components before tossing it into my other hand and throwing it up in the air. 

_“Connor, I want you to check in on Callie tomorrow morning,”_ Hank’s voice echoed through my pensive thoughts as events from the night before began to replay in my head. 

_“I want you to let me know how she’s doing, what the doctor’s think of her condition. Poor girl, she doesn’t deserve any of this.” Hank said, sadly watching the peacefully sleeping girl in a hospital bed._

_“Consider it done, Lieutenant,” I said, more to myself as I turned my head towards Callie, softly stirring in her sleep._

I quickly pocketed my coin, straightened my tie, and made my way inside the hospital. Casually strolling the long, endless corridors with purpose. Knowing exactly where to go, of course. Rounding a corner, I came face to face with an elevator and pressed the up button. 

_Ding!_

The elevator doors slowly swung open, I entered inside and pressed for the 6th floor. Lazily, the doors closed and proceeded to ascend to the upper levels of the buildings hurriedly. 

_Ding!_

I stepped out and immediately rounded a corner to my left, passing a bustling nurse’s station that almost seemed to imitate a beehive; how the nurses and doctors flowed in and out of the small report area with calculated clockwork. 

_Interesting_ , I thought to myself with blooming curiosity. A little way down a long corridor, I stopped outside a room. Callie’s room. 

Gently, I turned the metal doorknob and allowed myself to enter her room, closing the door behind me with equal gentleness. The soft electronic beeping of the young woman’s heart monitor lightly echoed off the walls of her hospital room, almost in sync with each gentle breath she took. 

_She’s still asleep_ , I observed her sleeping form, her head softly lolling to the side; exposing her blue LED. Her small white hands rested on top of her stomach, exposing the numerous amounts of wires and IVs taped onto her right arm. _She almost looks… At peace, finally._

I noticed a tablet inside a document holder on the front of her bed frame. I walked over towards it and retrieved it, beginning to scan through her medical report: 

**PATIENT SHOWS SIGNS OF AMNESIA**   
**SYMPTOMS: MEMORY LOSS, DISTORTED REALITY, EMOTIONAL DETACHMENT, SEVERE DEPRESSION, SEVERE ANXIETY, JUMPINESS, DEFENSIVE BEHAVIOR, MISTRUST TOWARD OTHERS, HOSTILE BEHAVIOR, IRRITABILITY**   
**DIAGNOSIS: PSYCHOGENIC/DISSOCIATIVE AMNESIA**   
**NOTES: SUSPECTED SEXUAL ABUSE/RAPE. PHYSICAL/MENTAL ABUSE**

**PATIENT TEMPLE**   
**NOTES: CYBERLIFE LED PROCESSOR WAS SURGICALLY INSTALLED INTO PATIENT’S RIGHT TEMPLE**

**PATIENT BRAIN  
** **NOTES: SMALL METAL COMPONENTS WERE DETECTED. SURGICALLY IMPLANTED IN EACH AREA OF THE PATIENT’S BRAIN. CONNECTED TO THIRIUM ARTIFICIAL CIRCULATORY SYSTEM. NO INTERNAL BLEEDING OR TRAUMA FOUND. SUGGESTS PROCEDURE WAS PERFORMED 3 YEARS AGO**

**PATIENT LEFT ARM**   
**PARTIAL FOREQUARTER AMPUTATION- 3RD DEGREE BURNS, IMPROPER AMPUTATION**   
**NOTES: CYBERLIFE ANDROID ARM COMPONENT, UNKNOWN MODEL, WAS ATTACHED BY WELDING TECHNIQUES AND BY THIRIUM ARTIFICIAL CIRCULATORY SYSTEM, FOUND BY SCANS**

**PATIENT LEFT, RIGHT LEG**   
**TRANSFEMORAL AMPUTATION- 3RD DEGREE BURNS, IMPROPER AMPUTATION**   
**NOTES: PARTIAL CYBERLIFE ANDROID LEG COMPONENT, UNKNOWN MODELS, WAS ATTACHED BY WELDING TECHNIQUES AND BY THIRIUM ARTIFICIAL CIRCULATORY SYSTEM, FOUND BY SCANS**

**PATIENT CHEST**   
**CYBERLIFE THIRIUM PUMP REGULATOR COMPONENT**   
**NOTES: CYBERLIFE THIRIUM PUMP REGULATOR COMPONENT WAS SURGICALLY INSTALLED. CONNECTED TO THIRIUM ARTIFICIAL CIRCULATORY SYSTEM. NO INTERNAL BLEEDING OR TRAUMA FOUND**

**PATIENT HEART**   
**CYBERLIFE BIOCOMPONENT SURGICALLY ATTACHED TO HEART**   
**NOTES: SCANS FOUND CYBERLIFE ANDROID ‘HEART’ BIOCOMPONENT ATTACHED TO PATIENT’S HEART. CONNECTED TO THIRIUM ARTIFICIAL CIRCULATORY SYSTEM**

**OTHER NOTES: PATIENT IS SEVERELY DEHYDRATED AND 30LBS UNDERWEIGHT (BMI)**

I read through her report, not believing what I was reading. I scrolled down to the bottom of the screen to look at her full-body x-rays and other scans. The inside of her body was a complete mess, it almost looked like the electric navy blue wiring inside of androids. Running along the blood vessels and arteries ran dark blue tubing containing poisonous thirium all throughout her body. Through her heart, her brain, everywhere. _This shouldn’t even be possible,_ I thought. _To have an extremely poisonous circulatory system installed along with electronic organs. . . It’s almost as if she’s impossibly compatible with CyberLife technology._

I slid the tablet back inside the file holder. I looked around the room, noticing a small armchair on the left side of her bed. Cautious with every step I took, I walked over to the chair and sat down. 

Unknowingly, I started studying every little detail about her. The way her waist-length blonde locks gently framed her face and cascaded gracefully down every small curve, the way her chest slowly heaved in and out with every breath she took, how her face slightly twitched and LED flashes yellow momentarily in her sleep. _She really is… beautiful,_ a sudden rebel thought entered my head. I immediately shook the thought away, _why am I thinking like that? I shouldn’t be thinking like that!_

 _If part of her brain is slightly composed of android components_ , I began to wonder, trying to take my mind off of my previous thoughts. _Then, maybe…_

I raised my hand and placed it on the edge of the bed, look up at her restful, sleeping features before looking back at her pale hands splaying across her stomach. _Maybe I shouldn’t… No, if it’ll help her remember, then I have to try._

I picked up my large hand, hovering it over her own small ones. Shakily, I released a breath I didn’t even know I was holding and carefully laid my palm down on top of her hand, our skin slowly revealing the plastic beneath, trying to connect myself to her missing memory. 

_Screaming. All I could hear was her screaming._

_I was lying on a cold table that almost felt like the icy sting of metal. Above me, was a large surgical light beaming down, almost causing me to go blind._

_'W-where am I?' A loud thought echoed through my mind. 'What’s going on?'_

_The loud whirring of large saw blade suddenly whistled throughout my left audio processor, I could feel the fear coursing through her entire body at that moment- no, my body._

_It made my Blue Blood run cold and practically freeze in my veins. The whistling came closer and closer until I realized it was about to connect with her- my shoulder._

_I-I need to move._

_Only I couldn’t. No matter how hard I demanded and begged for the slightest shift in my components, I laid there. I was forced to lay there as if some invisible force was ordering my body to lie still._

_“Has the paralytic taken effect yet?” A thick male's voice reverberated all around me. Was that an accent I could hear in voice? Russian, perhaps? It was hard to tell._

_“Yes, sir. She’s ready.” A deep male's voice responded-_

_An agonizing pain, one like no other, one that I hope to whatever is out there that I never, EVER experience again, began to cut through my shoulder. I screamed at the top of my lungs, desperately begging for it to stop- only no one could hear me. All I could do was lie there in absolute silent torment. I could feel the blood, and pieces of bone began to hit me in the face and splatter everywhere throughout the room._

_I-I can’t take this anymore! Someone, please kill me!_

I jolted back into my seat, my Thirium pump pounding erratically in my ears. I looked around, panicking slightly, I was back in Callie’s hospital room. I looked up and saw Callie awake, a look of fear in her eyes. 

“W-what was t-that?” She asked, her eyes were wide as saucers with absolute terror. 

“I. . .” I started, attempting to compose myself while trying to think of what to say that’ll both comfort the frightened girl and won’t make her afraid of me. “I don’t know. I-I think I was just connected to your memory. I’m-I’m sorry.” I lowered my head in shame; I shouldn’t have done that. There’s a reason why she has amnesia, it’s the brain’s last resort to defend itself against traumatizing experiences. Who knows what harm I had just inflicted upon this young woman. I could’ve just jeopardized whatever recovery she already made!

“It-it’s okay, Connor,” she whispered. I snapped my head up, seeing the storm begin to fade from her light blue orbs. A small smile slowly began to spread across her tea-rose pink lips. I smiled back at her, feeling as if a huge weight was lifted off my front panel. 

**CALLIE STATUS**   
**WARM^**

“Took me a while to find you,” a loud male’s voice suddenly chimed through the whole hospital room. My head snapped to the side to see another android, an MC500, leaning up against the doorframe lazily; its arms folded across its chest. Staring intently at Callie with a deranged look in its eyes. 

“Shoulda’ known you would’ve come here. In the state you were in, I’m surprised you made it this far. You’ve got spirit, I’ll give you that.” It chuckled, never breaking eye contact with Callie. Not once sparing a glance over in my direction. _Its mannerisms and vocal patterns are all over the place_ , I noticed. _Could this android possibly be..._

“I’m sorry. Who are you?” Callie asked, slightly leaning towards my direction nervously. I immediately straightened my posture and narrowed my eyes at this android as it strolled casually further into the room. I didn’t like this, not one bit. 

“Where are my manners? My name is Gabriel,” the android answered in a sweet, mocking tone while bowing sarcastically. “The Master sent me to collect you, Ms. Callie. He has been worried _sick_. You know better than to wander off on your own.” A sly smirk spread across its thin lips, its eyes traveling all over her gown-cladded body with vile, malicious intentions. 

I shot to my feet and stood in front of the male android, blocking Callie completely from its repulsive stare.

“You’re not going to lay a hand on her,” I growled vehemently. “You’re going to leave now before rip you apart and throw you out piece by piece.”

_**Software Instability^^** _

It’s expression dropped gravely into a stone-cold mask. It’s olive green optical units narrow and spoke stories of untold dangers with a single look. I glared back at it with equal intensity, not backing down. Not even in the slightest.

“How cute. Less than 24 hours away from The Master and the little _slut_ already has a new boyfriend,” it jeered with a coldhearted smile. “Hate to break it to you, handsome, but she’s private property. And the Master isn’t particularly fond of sharing. Sorry about your luck.” 

Gabriel tried to maneuver around me, but I wouldn’t budge. I rooted myself in place, not allowing the disgusting deviant to even glance at Callie. 

“I said she’s not going anywhere. Now leave. I won’t ask again.” I seethed through my teeth. It took every bit of power I had not to throw the fucking bastard out the window in that very moment. 

It stepped back and kicked me straight in the front panel, sending me flying back onto Callie’s bed. 

“Connor-” Callie yelped out before letting out a loud scream.

“Let’s go, you little bitch,” Gabriel growled in a dangerously low tone, grabbing a fistful of Callie’s blonde strands and throwing her frail frame harshly onto the floor; ripping all of her IVs out in the struggle. Blood splattered all over my face, I could feel the aqueous matter slowly trickle down my cheek as I charged towards the MC500, the Thirium coursing through my veins practically reaching its boiling point. I snatched it by the collar of its jacket and sent it flying into the window on the other side of the room, shattering the opaque glass into a million pieces before falling to the floor.

I darted towards Callie impatiently, helping the small woman back onto her feet while keeping an eye on the android.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt?” I ran my hands down over her arms, trying to calm her trembling figure and reassure myself, I realized. 

“I’m okay.”

“You son of a bitch,” it muttered furiously, picking itself off the hard tile. A small shriek suddenly left Callie’s rosy-pink lips as I pushed her behind me, completely shielding her from the insane deviant. She latched onto my arm with a trembling fist, holding on as if her life depended on it. Depended on me. It reached behind its back, pulling out a handgun and aiming it directly at me.

_Shit!_

“Callie, run!” I shouted, she quickly snatched my hand and tugged me towards the door before Gabriel fired a shot; the bullet grazing my left shoulder. Callie flung the door open and darted out in the hallway, pulling me along with her desperately as we ran down the hall. 

“Get back here!” It screamed furiously, sending off more shots at us. Without a second thought, I grabbed Callie and pushed us down onto the ground before any of the shots could land. I glanced over my shoulder to see the deviant running toward us. 

“Come on, we gotta move,” I ordered, flying to my feet and tightly holding onto Callie’s hand, her squeezing mine for dear life. 

Left, right, left, left again. Around every corner, every corridor, every crowd of medical personnel, we ran for our lives through the intricate labyrinth of endless hallways, barely dodging the bullets that flew past us at lightning speeds. 

“Ahh!” Callie suddenly screamed out in distress. I skidded abruptly to a halt and spun myself around, only to find her lying face down on the floor with a pool of Blue Blood forming around her leg. 

“Shit!” I grunted, barely able to glance at the bullet wound in her right calf before a fist came out of nowhere and punched me straight in the jaw, knocking me back a few feet. 

Without even thinking, I jolted back up and sprinted towards the deviant, trying to grab the gun. Through the struggle, the weapon was launched down the hall beyond both of our reach as the MC500 deviant pushed me up against the wall, pinning my arms above my head. 

“You can’t have her. The Master has already claimed her as his,” he muttered to me before his smile twisted crookedly and leaned in real close to my face. Too close. "I’d really hate to see that pretty face of yours smashed to pieces. It’d be a real tragedy, darling-” 

It suddenly falls to the floor, releasing its uncomfortable weight off of me. I quickly scanned around, realizing Callie kicked it’s knees in. 

“Connor, are you okay?” She rambled worriedly. 

“Stay off your leg, you’re losing too much Thirium,” I ordered, completely ignoring her concern. 

“Little bitch! After everything The Master has done for you- he saved you! And this is how you repay his generosity?” The deviant slowly gets back up onto its feet, once again I was shielding Callie away behind me as it began to close in on us, forcing us against the wall. 

I smirked at its advancements, almost taunted it.

A pair of massive, black-cladded arms suddenly encircled around Gabriel. 

“Wha-what the hell?!” It began to struggle against the security guards, violently thrashing with all its available strength.

“Fucking android bastard!” The security guard growled as another guard came around to restrain it’s flailing legs. With no more options, it eventually gave up. 

Callie slowly started to sneak through my defensive form, but still stayed close cautiously as she watched the guards begin to carry the deviant away. 

“This isn’t over. The Master knows where you are, Callie. There’s nowhere you can go where he can’t find you. And he will find you!” The deviant screamed, a dark, devious smile curving on its lips before starting to squirm one last time. It successfully freed one of its legs and kicked the guard square in the face, the man stumbled back, holding its bloody mouth with both hands. The MC500 contorts its body up, and around the other security guard, it’s hands tightly around the man’s throat, choking him with mad strength. 

Once the security guard stopped moving, it suddenly bolted towards a nearby window- throwing itself through the glass. I ran over and watched its body fall to the ground, somehow surviving and taking off sprinting into the city. 

_The Master knows where you are, Callie._ It's warning began to resonate through my mind. _There’s nowhere you can go where he can’t find you._

“Connor?” Callie tugged on the sleeve of my jacket, her tone heavily laced with worry. I looked down at her before looking back out the window. 

_And he will find you..._

“Come on,” I grabbed her by the hand, and hurriedly led us through the panicked crowds of nurses and doctors until we eventually found ourselves back in Callie’s room. “Get dressed. We’re leaving.” 

“Why? Where are we going?” 

“The police station. It’s the only place you’ll be safe for now.” 

**CALLIE STATUS**   
**TRUSTED^^**


	4. Waiting For Hank

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Callie and Connor make it to the police station. Events from the chapter 'Waiting For Hank' take place from the game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while. I have family home from Tennessee I haven't seen in forever, plus I had some other things I had to do. So to make up for not updating, I have an extra long chapter for you this time! Yay! I hope you enjoy!

**November 6th, 2038**

_**Software Instability** _

Slowly, my chocolate brown eyes fluttered open, observing the brand new world around me. The gentle roaring of a steady stream whistled in my audio processors, the distant chirping of birds echoed not far beyond. I could feel the comforting rays of sunlight that peeked through the branches of tall cherry blossom trees on my artificial skin, slightly warming me. 

**FIND AMANDA**

I quickly scanned my surroundings, noticing a fairly tall African American woman standing on an island in the middle of the beautiful lake, connected to several colorless abstract bridges and white stone pathways. Having found my destination, I began to walk along the path, disturbing a group of small birds as I strolled across the bridge and approached the woman. 

"Hello, Amanda," I said, low and calm. Amanda had her back towards me, a pair of garden shears in hand, lifting the stem of a rose above her head thoughtfully with a petite dark hand. 

**AMANDA STATUS**  
**TRUSTED**

She slowly turned towards me at the sound of my voice, appearing to be rather pleased.

"Connor. . . It's good to see you." She said, her lips slightly twitching upwards momentarily before turning back to the roses upon the white lattice. 

"Congratulations, Connor. Finding that deviant was far from easy," Amanda begins, snipping another rose from the vine before inhaling its sweet scent. "And the way you interrogated it was very clever. You've been remarkably efficient, Connor." She slowly turns around, gracing me with a small smile. One that I return as well. 

**AMANDA STATUS**  
**TRUSTED ^^**

"Thank you, Amanda," I said with a small nod. 

"We've asked the DPD to transfer it to us for further study. It may teach us something about what happened," Amanda informed me, as she placed the rose in her hand on a small white pedestal beside the trellis before returning back to her work. "The interrogation seemed… challenging," she said with a snip of her shears. "What did you think of the deviant?" 

"It showed signs of PTSD after being abused by its owner as if its original program had been completely replaced by new instructions," I answered, systematically neutral in my tone. 

"This… Lieutenant Anderson has been officially assigned to the deviancy case… What do you make of him?" She asked, beginning to spray the roses in small pulses of refreshing water. 

"I think he's irritable, and socially challenged," I begin. "But I also think he used to be a good detective… He's an intriguing character." 

"Unfortunately, we have no choice but to work with him. . ." Amanda quickly spins, facing me once again. "What do you think is the best approach?" 

"I will adapt to his personality," I said, watching as Amanda's face suddenly drops in slight disappointment. "It's in the best interest of the investigation that I avoid conflict and try to accommodate his psychology." 

**AMANDA STATUS**  
**NEUTRAL 🇻🇻**

"What about this. . . Callie? Was it?" My posture immediately stiffened at the mention of her name. 

"She seems like a sweet girl. What happened to her is quite the tragedy but quite a mystery as well. She's obviously traumatized by her experiences and has trouble trusting others. Luckily, it seems I am gaining her trust. Especially after the incident that had just occurred at the hospital." 

"CyberLife is very interested in this girl. She is a scientific marvel, and the higher-ups would like to know more about her. Therefore, you have been officially assigned to investigate her alongside the deviancy case," Amanda said with a stern tone. She lowers the white sprayer onto the pedestal, her face grim with a solemn expression as her form shifts towards me. 

"However, the deviancy case is your main priority. More and more androids show signs of deviancy. There are millions in circulation. If they become unstable, the consequences will be disastrous. You are the most advanced prototype CyberLife has ever created. If anyone can figure out what's happening, it's you." 

"You can count on me, Amanda," I said, confidence firmly laced in my tone. 

"Don't let that girl come between you and your main mission, Connor. You were designed specifically to stop the deviants. This Callie is simply a side objective for you to accomplish. Nothing more." I nodded, trying to keep my features as neutral as possible and ignore the slight twinge inside my front panel. 

"Hurry, Connor. There's little time." Amanda mutters one last time before walking away. 

_***~*~*~** _

_**(Callie's PoV)** _

_What the hell is he doing?_ I thought, completely dumbfounded. We both sat in the back of a taxi, even though we arrived at the police station over 5 minutes ago. Connor just sat there, still as a statue, staring off dumbly into space. Not even fucking blinking. 

I sat on the edge of my seat, my honey blonde eyebrows furrowed in total confusion, leaning in and observing his transfixed features. Slowly, I raised my hand, bringing it to his cheek. 

"Connor?" I said, patting his face lightly. No response. 

_'You have reached your destination. Thank you for traveling with Detroit Taxis. We look forward to seeing you again soon. Please exit the vehicle now.'_ The taxi's electronic voice said. Again. For the one-hundredth fucking time. 

I huffed out, slightly frustrated as a small vein in my forehead began to throb. _Here goes nothing. . ._

I swung my arm back before launching it forward, slapping him right across the face. His head jerks slightly to side forcefully, his dark cocoa eyes blinking several times in the process, slowly coming back to reality. 

"What was that for?" Connor asks, rubbing his cheek as if it hurt and looking at me with a confused look in his eye. _I didn't hit him that hard, did I?_

"You were completely out of it. We've been sitting here for five minutes now." He looks around at his surroundings as if he momentarily didn't know where he was. 

"Oh," he says lowly before standing up and exiting the vehicle. He holds a hand out for me, I take it without a second thought and slide my small hand into his large one; gently guiding me towards the entrance of the police station. 

"Hey, Connor?" 

"Yes?" 

"What were you doing in the taxi back there?" I wondered, slightly concerned. "Was that like an android thing or something?" 

"I was just checking in with CyberLife," he answered with a level tone. "They've just assigned me to investigate what happened to you, how you ended up. . ." He paused as if he wasn't sure what to call me. Almost as if he didn't want to offend me. I mentally chuckled, _how strange_ , I thought. _An android worried about a human's feelings_.

"Part android?" I chimed, he nodded his head bashfully. _How cute_ , I smiled genuinely at that thought. 

"CyberLife is very interested in what happened to you. Their technology was initially thought to be extremely dangerous for human use, yet your body is adapting to it astonishingly well. You're virtually impossible, Callie." I could feel a rapid blush creep upon the plush apples of my cheeks as a sudden warmth filled the very pit of my stomach, spreading like an electrical fire all over my body. I had to force myself to look away from him, almost terrified by the thought of him noticing the aggressive change in pigment on my face.

_Why the hell should I even care if he saw?_

We walked through the doors and entered a small reception-like room, dozens of people all around us, some chatting happily, some with anxiousness written all over their faces. Connor and I stood behind the electric red waiting line, waiting patiently. 

"Why are we here?"

"I've just received instructions to find Lieutenant Anderson and proceed with the deviancy investigation." 

Before I could even ask another question, a female's voice cut me off from my thoughts. 

"Can I help you?" I looked up and almost visibly cringed at the android woman behind the reception desk. She was the same model that refused to help me, I realized. I could feel my hand swallowed in a reassuring hold, feeling Connor's thumb softly stroking the back of my hand, calming me down rapidly. I was able to release a breath I didn't even realize I was holding in. Finally, able to free the unbearable weight of crushing anxiety off my chest. 

_It's okay._

"We're here to see Lieutenant Anderson," Connor answered, approaching the reception desk. 

"Do you have authorization?" 

"Yes." I watched as Connor began to blink several times rapidly at the android, his LED swirling furiously yellow. I glanced back and forth between the two androids, watching them wirelessly connect to each other. 

"Lieutenant Anderson hasn't arrived yet, but you can wait at his desk." The ST300 replied, gesturing towards another doorway heavily guarded by security devices with the tilt of her head. 

Connor briefly nodded, the little tuft of chestnut locks along his forehead softly bouncing with the motion before tenderly leading me through the small security gate and into the police station. He stopped just outside the glass panels, scanning over the various desks neatly lined throughout the room before making a perfect beeline towards a particular desk. 

Lt. ANDERSON, the small nameplate said on the edge of the vacant desk. I looked back up at Connor, slightly confused. _Was Lieutenant Anderson not here yet?_ I wondered. He looked around briefly, with a similar look of confusion I had before calling out to an officer two desks away. 

"Excuse me, do you know what time Lieutenant Anderson usually arrives?" The officer swerves around in his chair, glancing up from his work on the monitor in front of him. 

"Depends on where he was the night before… If we're lucky, we'll see him before noon." He replied, rather sassily, in my opinion, before returning to his work. 

"Thanks," Connor said, looking back down at me. I simply shrugged at the uncertainty that threaded across his features. His dark eyes scanned over the contents that were littered across the Lieutenant's desk, landing on a black phone. I observed as he reached down and tapped the button at the edge of the screen with his pale finger components. 

"Call Hank Anderson," he commanded. 

_"Hi, this is Hank. Not here at the moment. You can leave a message if that's what turns you on, but don't expect me to call back. Beep... Whatever."_ A small chuckle suddenly escaped my lips before I even had the option to stifle it. I looked up at Connor, his eyebrows furrowed slightly, and head tilted to the side as if he wondered what was so funny about a voice message. 

"Lieutenant Anderson? This is Connor, I'm the android sent by CyberLife. It's almost noon, and Callie and I are waiting for you at the office." He said, before tapping the phone once again, ending his message. 

"Why do you always say that?" I asked, not even really thinking what words just came out of my mouth. I leaned up against Hank's desk, anxiously shifting my weight off my legs. 

"What do you mean? Say what?" He asked in intense confusion as he glanced around Hank's desk, observing the many items scattered across the surface. 

"'My name is Connor, I'm the android sent by CyberLife.'" I responded, trying to mimic the robotic emphasis he stresses on every word. "I'm sure Hank knows who you are, and who sent you." 

"It's how I'm programmed to introduce myself. Is that not correct?" He tilts his head to the side and blinks his eyes a few times at me, obviously confused. 

"No, it's just usually you only have to introduce yourself once, when you meet someone for the first time. After that, they tend to remember who you are in future conversations." I tried to explain without making it seem like I was talking down to him. 

"Hmm, perhaps there's an unknown update to my Social Relations program. I wasn't aware of this information. Thank you, Callie." He nodded to me with a slight smile gracing his features. I nodded back, not quite sure how to respond. 

Suddenly, I felt an intense wave of hunger ripple through my stomach, releasing a low rumbling sound. Connor looked up with a small look of worry as I pressed a hand against my upper abdomen as if that would silence the loud grumble. 

"Why don't you have a seat, I'll find you something for breakfast." He offered, motioning towards the empty seat in front of Hank's desk with a wave of his hand. 

"Okay, thank you," I said, taking a seat, unknowingly watching every step Connor takes as he walks towards a small open room on the far right-hand side of the station. 

I sat there, silently twiddling my thumbs and playing with the hem on my jacket, trying to ignore the hunger pains that tore through my entire stomach. 

"Hey, bring me a coffee, dipshit!" I immediately jerked my head up at the loud and irritably rude voice that suddenly boomed throughout the police station. I looked around, trying to place the origin of the order. "GET A MOVE ON!" 

"I'm sorry, but I only take orders from Lieutenant Anderson." Connor. . . 

I found myself up and on my feet, my own heart beating at a dangerously rapid pace as I hurriedly followed the invisible trail Connor left, leading me to what I assumed was the officer's break room. I watched as a man with mousy brown hair, an old brown leather jacket and jeans suddenly ball up his fist and punched Connor straight in the gut, doubling over and clutching his stomach as if he was in pain. 

I felt my heart fall heavily to my toes as I watched the android fall to the floor. My eyes suddenly narrowed at the man standing over Connor, taunting him. 

"If Hank hadn't gotten in the way yesterday, I would've fucked you up for disobeying a human." 

_That motherfucker!_

"Hey! What the fuck is your problem?!" I shouted at the man, rushing over in giant steps and standing between him and Connor's fallen form defensively. 

"Callie-" Connor interjected but was cut off by the rude son of a bitch in front of me. 

"Jesus Christ! These plastic fuckers are just everywhere, aren't they?" He jeered to the police officer standing behind him, casually sipping their coffee. 

"I'm not an android, you asshole. You should start showing some more respect." I threatened in a low and dangerous tone, narrowing my eyes. The man doing the same, sauntering his tall and broad figure over my small and petite one, as if to show how outmatched I was against him. 

"Who are you to order a human, you little bitch!" I watched as he suddenly pulled his fist back, ready to aim it straight into my jaw. But my reflexes were much faster than his. I quickly pushed his clenched fist with the side of my left forearm and launched a punch of my own, sending all my pent up anger and frustration in a single blow, straight to his nose. 

"FUCK!" He screamed, spinning entirely around and clutching his face. A small river of crimson blood began to leak out between his fingers along with a few tears from the corners of his gray eyes. I looked down, seeing a few drops of his blood on my knuckles, I carelessly wiped them on my black leggings. I watched as the other cop pressed a napkin over the man's nose and began to lead him out of the break room, a profound proud smile spread across my lips; one the man definitely didn't miss on his way out. 

"Connor, you okay? He didn't hurt you, did he?" I knelt down beside him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. He had a look of complete shock and disbelief written across his features as he looked at me. 

"I-I'm fine." He finally said, suddenly standing up and adjusting his tie with a quick shake of his shoulders and regained his composure. "Why don't you choose what you want to eat?" He gestured to the several open boxes of donuts and the dozens of selections on the coffee machine. 

After scanning over my options, I decided on a cup of hot chocolate and a donut with chocolate icing and rainbow sprinkles before Connor walked me back over to Hank's desk. I sat down on the black swivel chair and sat my donut and napkin on the edge of the desk. Cautiously I blew into the steaming cup, taking a small quick sip- nearly burning my mouth. I quickly glanced up, seeing Hank slowly approach us. 

"It's good to see you again, Lieutenant." Connor chimed his greeting pleasantly. I lowered the cup from my mouth and gave a curt nod and a small smile to the older man. 

"Oh, Jesus. . ." He rolled his eyes at the android before they fell onto me. "What are you doing out of the hospital?" His tone erupted with a sudden wave of worry as his blue orbs grew to the size of saucers. 

"There. . . Was an incident at the hospital. A deviant showed up with a gun and tried to take her. You can expect a report on it later today if there isn't one already." Connor answered gently. 

"Holy fuck! Are you okay?" I nodded, taking a bite out of my donut. Licking the sweet cream filling off my upper lip with the tip of my tongue. 

"Hank! You and the girl in my office!" A hefty bald man dressed in a blue shirt and tie suddenly ordered. I quickly sat my half-eaten donut on my napkin before standing up and following Hank up the small set of stairs. Once inside, the man gave me a small smile. 

"Have a seat," he said, motioning toward one of the seats in front of his desk. I nodded and sat down to his left, keeping my head down as the tension in the room began to thicken. I glanced up, hearing the door close, finding Connor strolling in and positioning himself to stand right behind me, oddly making me feel a little better. 

"Firstly, you've both been assigned to investigate Callie's case. I want you both to find the twisted bastard that kidnapped and experimented on her," the Captain began, both men nodding in agreement. "Since there appears to be someone hunting this poor girl, due to the events that happened at Detroit Receiving, Hank, she'll be staying with you. Your own residence will act as a safe house. Wherever you or your android goes, she goes. She is to be under 24-hour surveillance until we catch the fucker after her, am I understood?" 

"Yes, sir." Connor and Hank both said in unison, I nodded in agreement. 

"Good, good," the Captain nodded, before looking at his computer monitor in deep thought. 

"Secondly, I've got ten new cases involving androids on my desk every day. We've always had isolated incidents, old ladies losing their android maids and that kind of crap. . . But now," he looks up from his screen, eyes gazing directly at Hank, not looking very happy. "We're getting reports of assaults and even homicides, like that guy last night. This isn't just CyberLife's problem anymore. It's now a criminal investigation, and we've gotta deal with it before the shit hits the fan. I want you to investigate these cases and see if there's any link."

"Why me?!" Hank whined, looking somewhat pissed. "Why do I gotta be the one to deal with this shit? I am the least qualified cop in the country to handle this case! I know jack shit about androids, Jeffrey! I can barely change the settings on my own phone. . . Callie's case? Yeah, sure. That I can handle, that I'm qualified for. But not this android bullshit!" 

"Everybody's overloaded. I think you're perfectly qualified for this type of investigation." Jeffrey spread his arms apart, looking rather angry. I quickly looked back down at my folded hands that rested on my lap, attempting to make myself as small as possible. 

"Bullshit!" Hank yelled and jumped out of his seat suddenly, causing me to hop a bit in my chair. "The truth is nobody wants to investigate these fuckin' androids and you left me holdin' the bag!" 

_Why though? Why does everyone hate androids so much?_ I wondered, thinking back to how those security guards brutally beat me because they thought I was an android. How that jackass punched Connor for no reason at all. Other than he was an android. _What did they do that was so bad?_

"CyberLife sent over this android to help with these investigations. It's a state-of-the-art prototype. It'll act as your partner." Jeffrey ordered, both of the men's voices rising in pitch. If I could shrink down any smaller in my seat, I would. 

"No fuckin' way! I don't need a partner, and certainly not this plastic prick!" Hank screamed, pointing towards Connor. My heart suddenly began to pound viciously in my ears as I fidgeted slightly in my seat, I ran my hands together nervously overtop of each other, not knowing what else to do to try to calm myself down. _God, could they please stop!_

"Hank, you are seriously starting to piss me off! You are a police lieutenant, you are supposed to do what I say and shut your goddamn mouth!"

"You know what my goddamn mouth has to say to you, huh?" Hank mocked. I bit my lip, unconsciously my legs started to shake as fear and panic entered my veins with ice-cold intensity. _Please. . . Just stop!_ I silently begged. 

"Okay, okay. . ." The Captain raised his hand, motioning Hank to shut up. "I'll pretend like I didn't hear that, so I don't have to add any more pages to your disciplinary folder 'cause it already looks like a fuckin' novel! This conversation is over!" Hank clenched his jaw, glancing over at Connor, who is impossibly calm throughout this entire shitstorm. He leaned over Jeffrey's desk, with a pleading look embedded in his eyes. 

"Jeffrey, Jesus Christ! Why are you doin' this to me? You know how much I hate these fuckin' things! Why are you doin' this to me?" He asked through his teeth, almost begging not to work with Connor. Hank's tone nearly shattered my heart into a million pieces. Connor seems like such a nice person; at least, that's the impression I got, and I've only known him for a short amount of time. Why won't he give him a chance? 

"Listen, I've had just about enough of your bitching. Either you do your job or hand in your badge. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got work to do." Jeffrey turned back to his computer, completely ignoring Hank's imploring look. 

The white-haired man pushed himself off the Captain's desk, the sad look on his face quickly turned into a look of absolute fury. Finally, giving up, he released a deep angry growl before opening the glass office door and slamming it behind him loudly. The bald man huffed a long, exaggerated sigh before rubbing his temples and glancing up at me. 

"I'm sorry you had to see that, Callie. He's a good man, just a stubborn jackass." He said, before looking over his shoulder out the glass window, revealing a pouting, angry Hank sitting at his desk. "You gonna be alright?" 

"Yeah. Yeah, I'll be fine," I answered, calming down as the tension-filled room lightened into a gentle, quiet hush. The Captain nodded to my response, folding his hands on top of his desk. 

"I'll let you go now." He said before looking up at Connor. "You look after her. The same way you did at the hospital, that's an order." 

"Yes, sir," Connor replied confidently. I stood up from my seat and began to make my way towards the door. 

"C'mon Connor," I said, holding the door open for both of us. 

"Have a nice day, Captain." He said, before following me out. "You can go wait with Hank, I need to talk to the deviant." I glanced over at the man, his arms crossed with his facial expression set sternly before watching Connor disappear rounding a corner. 

I huffed out slightly, slowly walking over and sitting on the edge of the chair in front of his desk, not daring to make eye contact with the grumpy old man. Hesitantly, I reached over and took another quick bite out of my donut, trying to be as quiet as possible. 

"I- uh," I started to break the uncomfortable silence. "I wanted to thank you. You know, for taking me to the hospital last night." I mumbled, barely above a whisper while staring at the donut in my hand. I snuck a glimpse out of the corner of my eye, watching as he suddenly let out a deep sigh before swiveling in his chair closer to me. A small side smile soon replaced the look of anger that was laced upon his features. 

"It's no problem, kiddo. So what did the doctors say?" He said, quickly easing the slight uneasy tension. 

"They said my condition is stable for now, there isn't much they can do with the CyberLife technology. The arm and leg components along with the artificial organs are too intricately installed, some along major vital points. So trying to remove them will probably kill me." I said, looking down at my arm indifferently. "They also performed a skin graft procedure to treat the burns where the components are attached."

He nodded. "They say anything about your memory? How long do they think it'll take for you to get it back?" 

"They aren't entirely sure." I shrugged. "They said it typically comes back with time and exposure but. . . The doctors believe I lost my memory due to traumatizing experiences that I just couldn't mentally deal with." Hank suddenly sat up straighter in his chair, his eyes completely transfixed on every word I was saying. "They warned me that as I regain my memories, I might relive some of them as well."

"Even the distressing ones. . . Shit!" He cursed under his breath in a sudden bitter tone before spinning around in his chair away from me. I looked up from my seat, seeing Connor standing before us with an impartial look on his face. He looked at the Lieutenant with a slight tilt of his head, as if he was silently observing him. 

"I get the impression my presence causes you some inconvenience, Lieutenant." He said, as I sat there in complete silence, not daring to interrupt. "I'd like you to know I'm very sorry about that. In any case, I'd like you to know I'm very happy to be working with you. Both of you," he suddenly turns his attention to me before returning it back to Hank. I smiled softly at his statement before taking a bite out of my donut once again. "I'm sure we'll make a great team." 

"Now that we're partners, it'll be great to get to know each other better," Connor said, a crooked silly smile spreading across his lips, almost making me spit out the food in my mouth. After a few moments of being completely ignored by Hank, his smile fell, to my dismay. 

"Is there a desk anywhere I could use?" 

"No one's using that one," Hank finally said something, pointing towards an empty desk right across from his own. He briefly nodded his gratitude to the oversized grump before swiftly strolling over and taking a seat at his new desk. 

In the wake of the silence, I munched down on the last bite of my creamy chocolate donut, savoring every last bit of the deliciousness that washed over my taste buds. I reached over and grabbed my cup of hot chocolate, carefully placing my lips on the edge of the foam cup, hoping it was cool enough to drink now. 

"You have a dog, right?" Connor suddenly inquired, almost making me spill my drink by the lack of warning. 

"How do you know that?" Hank asked lowly, slowly turning away from his computer with his eyes narrowed with suspicion. 

"The dog hairs on your chair," He said. "I like dogs," I nearly choked again at his statement. 

_That's adorable!_ A thought loudly echoed through my mind uncontrollably, trying to hide my amused smile by taking another sip of my hot chocolate while I continued to watch this delightful discussion. 

"What's your dog's name?" Hank looked up again, clearly not as amused as I was by this entire situation.

"What's it to ya?" He sneered, I could almost see all the optimism drain from Connor's features as he looked down below the monitor. And it almost physically hurt. 

"Sumo," Hank grumbled out from the side of his mouth as if he was trying to stifle a smile from blooming on his lips. Mine and Connor's heads shot up at his response at the same time, almost shocked he actually responded. "I call him Sumo." 

"That's a cute name," I said, a small smirk spreading across my pink lips. Hank nodded his head lightly before beaming at me with a similar look. 

"Have you known Captain Fowler for long?" He asks. 

"Yeah. . . Too long," Hank replies, peering over his shoulder and glares at the man in the glass cubicle before shaking his head in a frustrated manner. 

"I was wondering. . ." Connor began. "Do you always arrive at the office at this time?" Hank snapped his head to the side, his cerulean eyes wide as he glared daggers at the android. Uh, oh. 

"I arrive when I arrive. Stop busting my balls, okay?!" 

"If you have any files on deviants, I'd like to take a look at them. . ." Connor said very calmly to the irritable man. 

"Terminal's on your desk. Knock yourself out." Hank said, pointing to the monitor on Connor's desk before returning to his own work. After nodding his thanks to the older man, he lifted his hand upon the projected keyboard, revealing the plastic beneath his skin.

"243 files. . . The first dates back nine months," Connor observed, dragging his pale finger across the screen as he read. "It all started in Detroit. . . And quickly spread across the country." He read aloud, before turning towards Hank. "An AX400 is reported to have murdered a man last night. That could be a good starting point for our investigation."

My ears immediately perked up at his statement, my heart began to race. _Could it possibly be...?_

"An AX400? Did-did the report say if the android was with a little girl?" I spoke up, slightly sitting on the edge of my seat as the cold, icy sting of anxiety suddenly flushed through my system. Connor immediately turned his attention to me the moment words began to flow past my lips, listening intently. He jerked his head back to the terminal, his eyes quickly scanning through the report for the information I requested. 

"No. There's nothing in the report. Did you see something?" He asked, leaning towards me. I huffed out briefly, and fidgeted with the hem of my jacket, trying to recall the memory from the previous night. 

"Before I made it to the hospital, I-I got lost. I had no idea where I was. So I stopped inside a little convenience store in the Ravendale district to get directions," I tried to explain my recollection, but a growing headache suddenly burst behind my eyes. "Ow!" I winced, holding the sides of my head and clamping my eyes shut. 

"Here," Connor said, walking around his desk and kneeling in front of me, holding out his hand. I looked at it, momentarily wondering what he was asking of me. My left fingers slightly flinched against my palm, completely indecisive. Then it hit me. I could still hear my own screams, the giant blade grinding away at my own flesh and bones, not being able to move even though I was doing everything in my power to get away… 

_No, no! I-I can't do that again. No..._

I pulled my hand away and placed it back in my lap, shaking my head. "I'll just. . . I'll just show you. That'll probably be more effective." I said, avoiding Connor's gaze and turning to look at Hank, who had a puzzled look perched on his features. He looked back and forth between Connor and me as if he didn't know what to make of the little interaction that just occurred between us. He eventually gave up, shrugging it off as if it was nothing and laid his head against his fist, and closed his eyes. 

"That just sounds like more work. . ." He grumbled, peeking through his closed eyelids as Connor stood up and approached him. Hank released an annoyed groan before shifting away from Connor, now looking at a tablet, absentmindedly scrolling across the screen. 

"I know you didn't ask for this investigation, Lieutenant. But I'm sure you're a professional." Connor tried to appeal to him calmly. 

"Why don't you go fuck yourself?!" Hank blurted out sharply. 

_Oh no_ , I thought, physically wincing, fearing the worst. 

"I've been assigned this mission, Lieutenant," Connor said in a low tone, leaning down over the desk. "I didn't come here to wait until you feel like working." 

_Oh no. . ._

Hank suddenly dropped the tablet carelessly onto his desk before forcing himself to his feet quickly, grabbing Connor by the lapels on his jacket and throwing him up against the wall of his cubicle. I immediately shot to my feet as well, my heart pumping at a thousand miles an hour in my ears, my light eyes growing huge at the sight before me. I don't know what to do!

"Listen, asshole. If it was up to me, I'd throw the lot of you in a dumpster and set a match to it. So, stop pissing me off. . ." He hissed. "Or things are gonna get nasty." 

"Guys, just stop fighting! Please!" I begged, tears beginning to form in the corners of my eyes, threatening to fall over my already chapped cheeks. Hank glanced over his shoulder at my trembling form, quickly dropping Connor back to his feet haphazardly. 

A shaky breath finally escaped from my lips, allowing my body to slightly calm down. Slightly. The thick tension still remained between the men before me, both still glaring threatening daggers at each other with cold eyes. 

"You both wait here," Hank instructed, waving a pointed finger at Connor and me as he begins to walk away. "I need to get clearance, then we'll go to the Ravendale district." 

I glanced over at Connor as he straightened his jacket and tie while watching Hank leave with a blank look on his face. I huffed out deeply while closing my eyes, attempting to relax my stressed form.

_This is gonna be a long day._


	5. On The Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hank, Connor and Callie investigate Callie's lead on Kara and Alice in Ravendale District.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi friends! I'm so sorry I'm late with this update. I got really sick with pneumonia. I was in the hospital for a couple of days and was just recently sent home! I'm feeling a lot better now and I was finally able to finish this chapter! I wrote a lot of this when I was sick so I apologize if this isn't my best work. I hope you enjoy!

**_(Callie's PoV)_ **

The entire car ride towards Ravendale district was, in simpler terms, awkward and uncomfortable as all hell. 

A dense and uneasy tension immediately encased the entire interior of the car the minute Hank and Connor entered. It hummed and buzzed like a thousand annoying mosquitos. Yet, an abundant silence rolled throughout the vehicle with an intensity that would make a drop of a pin sound like a nuclear explosion.

I shifted slightly in the backseat of Hank's car, gazing thoughtfully out the window. Watching as many vehicles of different shapes and colors seemed to glide on the bustling highway, either falling behind us or racing ahead. Beyond that, my eyes scanned over the beautiful tall buildings that stood in the distance. Reigning over the city of Detroit without even trying. 

My sight slowly drifted to the two men that sat in the seats in front of me. Hank's eyes wholly fixed on the road in front of him as Connor sat perfectly straight with incredible posture, staring out the window to his right. Neither had attempted to speak a word to each other since their fight back at the police station. I realized, as a slight twinge of worry curled in the pit of my stomach. 

_We won't learn anything if they don't start to get along,_ I thought, turning my head back to the window, watching as the rain began to trickle across the glass. 

Suddenly, the streets between me and the glass window radiated with an ominous sense of familiarity with every turn Hank made. I could almost see myself sprinting along the cracked sidewalks in the cold November rain that beat down on me mercilessly, pricking my skin like a thousand shards of glass. I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins like white-hot fire. It gave me the ability to completely shut out the cries and pleads my body screamed with every step I took. I could hear that chilling voice that ordered me to keep running and find help as soon as possible. It fueled every step, encouraged me to keep going. It still plays like a never-ending tape recording in the deepest shadows of my mind. Especially now amid the deafening silence that enveloped me and everyone in the car...

_'Callie, wake up! You need to get out of here. Callie? Don't you remember me? Don't you remember anything? No, of course, you wouldn't. Not after what they did to you. But you need to remember. Get help before you bleed out and die. Run. Don't let him find you. If The Master finds you, you're dead. Actually dead this time. Go now. We can't distract him and the others for long.'_

"Callie? Anything starting to seem familiar to you?" Hank suddenly asked, sending the memory away into the back of my mind. 

"Yeah, everything around here actually. The store I stopped in should be a couple blocks from here." I said, glancing out the window again. 

"Do you remember where you ran away from? Was it somewhere in the area? Was it a house or a facility..." Connor asked, looking over his shoulder at me. I looked down momentarily, slowly processing his question before manually searching my entire brain for some inkling of an answer. But I couldn't. The only thing I found was another excruciating headache.

"I... I don't remember. I was running on pure adrenaline for forever it seemed like, so probably not in this area," I said, shaking my head. "I do know I was running from the direction we just came if that helps." 

"It's a start, I suppose. Maybe someone saw something, like an eyewitness." Hank muttered, gently pressing down on the brakes as he approached a stop sign. 

My eyes darted all over the street as my memory of last night became brighter and more vivid, almost playing in my mind like a movie. _I could see myself leaning up against a graffiti-covered building in an alley we passed, fatigue starting to overpower the adrenaline that coursed through my body. I remember barely able to stand upon my own two feet as a paralyzing pain radiates all over my body fiercely. My lungs pulsated with an intense ache and screamed for the air around me. No matter how many breaths I took, I still couldn't seem to breathe._

_Slowly, without a choice, I fell to my knees tiredly and sat up against the alley wall, entirely suffocated by the lightless shadows of the two buildings. I pressed the side of my head against the cold brick. I closed my eyes, slowly feeling the icy temperature soak through my clothes to my very bones, numbing me inside and out. I barely had the strength to shiver or tremble, my skin didn't even crawl with spine-tingling goosebumps. All I could focus on was the cozy comfort of sleep, it enveloped me tighter than four walls, and I had half a mind to welcome the temptation with outstretched arms. To actually allow myself this one essential luxury._

_"Get help before you bleed out and die."_

_That voice. That damn voice again. It echoed loudly through my mind with a roar, jolting me awake, sending me right back into this never-ending sea of rain and agony called reality. Shit._

_With whatever strength I had left, I pushed myself up onto my feet- son of a bitch that hurt! I doubled over, quickly grabbing the wall beside me last second before I hit the concrete face first. White-hot bolts of lightning charged through every vein, every muscle, every cell intensely. I desperately held back a loud scream that vibrated throughout my entire body. I bit down harshly on the plump curve of my lip so hard I almost drew blood to the icy surface. A slight groan fluttered in the back of my throat, my face twisting in absolute misery._

_Keep going..._

_After what felt like an eternity, the pain began to ease to a bearable ache. Bearable enough to move. With a hand still pressed against the brick, I shakily stumbled forward, leaving the alleyway._

"Turn right here," I said, my focus never shifting away from the battered roads and abandoned buildings that lined the streets of the Ravendale neighborhood. Hank did as he was told, decreasing in speed significantly and began to cruise down the avenue. 

"It's right here," I said, pointing towards a small white building highlighted in bright purple and orange neon. "This is the place." 

Hank smoothly pulled his car beside the curb in front of the convenience store, quickly shifting the gears and turning off the ignition. 

"Alright. Let's do this," Hank mumbles as he unbuckles his seatbelt and gets out of the car. I unbuckle my seat belt with a small click, and unconsciously take Connor's extended hand as he opens my door and gently pulls me out into the rain. 

A slight shiver ran down my spine as I stepped into the frigid rain, grabbing the lapels of my thin jacket and hugging them close to my body for warmth. _I gotta get some new clothes,_ I thought to myself.

I could feel a hand on the back of my jacket, slightly tugging on the fabric as it pushed my blonde strands to the side and pulled my green hood on top of my head. Shielding my face from the cold downpour from above. 

"Thank you," I smiled up at the android beside me, genuinely grateful for the small act of kindness. 

"You're welcome," he muttered while returning a smile as well. He placed a hand on the small of my back, gently leading me up onto the sidewalk beside Hank. 

"Alright... We'll go ahead and question the store owner and the cashier, if possible... See you in a bit, Ben." Hank said into his cell phone, before bringing it down from his ear and tapping a button. "The others are on their way. They're gonna scout the area, see if anyone has seen the android. Let's go in." He told us, turning to walk into the store with Connor and me right behind him. 

The doors flung to the side with a loud _ding_ as we entered. Grasping the edges of the material on the sides of my head, I flung my hood off. Finally, I was able to scan the few rows of random items that lined the shelves of the convenience store. 

"Can I help you?" A familiar voice suddenly called out, capturing my attention. I immediately turn my head, recognizing the man's dark skin, reasonably small frame, and the somewhat cheery tone in his voice. 

_"What the fuck do you want?" His tone hissed with utter disdain, his thin lips curled upward and eyes slightly narrow. I struggled to look up at him as an intense shudder rolled through my system, my entire body ached and cried to just curl up into a fetal position. Instead, I tugged on the hem on my soaking wet jacket closer to my body, desperately trying to conserve what little warmth I had left._

_"P-please. C-can y-you help m-me?" I stuttered, my gaze darting back and forth between him and a beautiful android woman with light brown hair, fair skin and bright blue eyes. In the corner of my eye, I noticed a sudden shift on the right side of android's uniform. I observed with intense interest as it alternated between 'AX400' and 'KARA.'_

_"Help you? Help you with what?"_

_"D-do you k-know where the n-nearest hospital is?" I managed to squeak out, slightly shifting between both my feet. The weight of my entire body felt like it was slowly killing me._

_"Your scanner broken or something, tin-can?" The man joked, a sly smirk spreading across his lips as he laughed to himself._

_"Umm... All the medical centers in this area are closed. The nearest one that's open is a bit of a walk. Detroit Receiving Hospital," the android woman said in a kind tone._

_I watched, slightly confused, as she slowly slid something off the counter and quickly tucked it behind her back in a swift motion. Sending a threatening glare towards the cashier in the process._

_"Here," she said, slowly extending her arm out to me, her pallid skin gradually revealing the plastic beneath. "I can give you directions."_

_Not knowing what else to do, I mimicked her movements and extended my arm out as well. She placed a hand on the inside of my arm, my skin beginning to peel back as an entire flood of street signs and arrows flashed across my vision. Leading me where I needed to go._

"Yes, we're with the police. I was wondering if I could speak to-" Hank started before reaching into his coat pocket for his badge. The cashier's brown eyes suddenly grew full of hysteria as they landed on mine. The man's entire body froze up at the sight of me. He quickly jerked to the side and opened up a drawer built into the counter- whipping out a gun. 

_What the hell?!_ I thought, my heart stopping briefly in my chest. Connor immediately shoved me behind him harshly, as Hank pulled out his own gun in a quick motion. 

"Whoa! What the fuck?!" Hank yelled, aiming it at the cashier.

"Plastic cunt! What the hell are you doing back here?! You and that other android here to rob me and again?! Huh?!" The dark-skinned man pointed the gun at me with a shaky grip, his finger dangerously close to the trigger. 

"What are you talking about?! I didn't rob you!" I yelled over Connor's shoulder defensively, trying to make my words sound stronger than I was. My whole body was practically vibrating with fear at the sight of that gun. My knees felt like they were about to give under my weight at any moment. I reached out and grabbed onto Connor's shoulders in front of me in an ill attempt to gain some sort of stability. 

"How the hell do I know you're not with that other android bitch and that kid?!" 

"She's not," Connor's words suddenly boomed throughout the whole store with a gentle tone of a soothing breeze. 

"She told us about the android that robbed this store. That's why we're here," Hank piped in. 

Connor held out his hand slightly as he slowly approached the scared man, never once abandoning his guard in front of me. As soon as he got close enough, Connor instantly yanked the gun out of the cashier's grip before handing it to Hank, never breaking eye contact with the man before him. 

"Now tell us about the android." He demanded, watching as the cashier's jaw nearly fell to the floor in shock as he looked at his hand dumbly for a moment. As if he could barely register what had just happened. 

Despite there was no longer a gun being pointed at me, my body refused to relax. The overwhelming sense of doom had completely devoured me, my knees were locked yet trembled with utter fear. I can't move a muscle. Or the loud, rapid pace of my heart about to burst my eardrums. I-I can't do anything.

"O-Okay. I'll tell you," the cashier said, stuttering over his words while raising both of his hands in surrender. 

"Alright," Hank muttered, as he slowly slipped his gun back into his jacket before pulling out a small tablet and tapping a few buttons on the screen. "Now, tell us what happened."

The cashier sighed before lowering his hands to rest on top of one another on the counter. "It was pretty late, man. 'Bout eleven or so when the android and little girl came in."

"What did this little girl look like?" Hank asked, looking up from the screen in his hand. 

"She had brown eyes and hair. Android said she was nine. Uhh... Wearing a pink sweater and shirt, I think." 

"Did the android say anything else to you? Where were they planning on going?" Connor asked.

"The bitch said that they had nowhere to go. They came in asking for money so they could get a room when I said no it pulled a motherfuckin' gun on me!" 

"Then what happened?" 

The cashier's gaze turned towards mine, his cold and harsh eyes sent an uncomfortable chill down my spine. I immediately shied away behind Connor, as if I would be protected from his glare.

"That _thing_ walked in. Begging for help. Just like that other android," the man answered with a firm bitterness. "I tried sending it on its way, but it wouldn't leave! Kept asking for directions to a hospital. Don't androids have GPS and shit like that?" 

_'Thing?!' Who the hell does this guy think he is?_ I thought angrily, my hands starting to ball up the fabric of Connor's android jacket as my irritability began to grow with every word this man spoke. 

"She's human, dipshit!" Hank exclaimed, his annoyance evident in his tone. 

"Yeah, right," the cashier chuckled, obviously not believing the man before him. 

"You know what? I think we have everything we need. Let's go, you two," he said, before angrily motioning towards the door and walking out. 

I grabbed Connor by the wrist, tugging him out the door. I wanted nothing more than to get away from that man as soon as possible. Everything he did, every word he spoke, every breath he took made my blood boil in absolute fury. I hated the way he talked about me and the other android, the way his coffee-colored eyes grew cold with utter hatred during Hank's questioning. His hurtful words pierced deeper than a thousand knives ever could. I hated it. I fucking hated it. It made my heart cry out in anguish that this is how most of the world perceived those with a swirling blue light on the side of their heads. It's not fair! 

"What a fucking asshole!" Hank muttered while crossing his arms and leaning up against the side of his car. 

As soon as the cold air hit my face, my anger began to die down. Almost as if the frosty temperature was a soothing balm to my clouded and heated thoughts. 

_There has to be a reason for all this hostility towards androids,_ I concluded. _But what is it? A misunderstanding? Something to focus their anger on? Or just a popular opinion?_ I wondered. _Whatever it is, it needs to end. We can't keep pulling a gun out every time we face hatred- that's not how to resolve conflict. It only prolongs and extends it._ I shook my head, realizing I'm thinking too deeply about matters I know absolutely nothing about. I observed Hank for a moment, recognizing the pissed off expression on his face. 

"Hank, there was no way he could've known about me. Just forget about it, it's okay." I said calmly, leaning up against the car beside him and pulling my hood over my head. "I do appreciate the concern, though." 

He slowly let out a long sigh before turning his head towards me, a small smile slowly starting to twitch on the corners of his lips. "Yeah, I guess you're right. You're a tough kid, you know that?" He said, gently patting the top of my head. I couldn't help the playful smirk that spread quickly across my lips as he did this. 

Suddenly an assembly of a few police vehicles began to line the avenue. Their bright flashing red and blue lights illuminated the various buildings around us with an ominous glow. I watched as numerous police officers exited their cars before taking off in every direction down the road with hurried purpose. 

"Morning, Hank!" A loud male's voice suddenly called out. I turned my head immediately to the source, finding a moderately plump pale man in a black leather jacket slowly approached Hank and me. "Ms. Woods." He nodded his greeting towards me with a small smile.

"Morning Ben," Hank muttered, nodding his hello to his fellow officer. 

"We've got officers sweeping the neighborhood, in case anybody saw anything." Ben informed Hank. 

"Okay. Well, let me know if they turn anything up." Hank nodded before pulling out the tablet he had in his coat, beginning to scroll through the information he already had. 

"What are you gonna do with _that_?" The sudden change in the cheery man's tone made my ears perk up, and my head shot to the side, my eyes extremely narrow. I watched as his gaze lingered on the tall android standing close next to me, staring blankly into the window of the convenience store as the rain continued to beat down upon him. 

"I've no idea," Hank mumbled. I audibly scoffed at his words and rolled my eyes at him before turning away.

"Callie seems to like him, though." He added suddenly, his words almost making my eyes pop out of their sockets. I could feel my heart come to a screeching halt as an abrupt warmth crept its way onto the apples of my cheeks. 

The sound of footsteps approaching bounced off the white exterior of the store, as Hank casually strolled past Connor. He quickly glanced at me with a taunting smirk plastered on his lips. I huffed out at him as a feeling of frustration and embarrassment pumped through my veins.

"It took the first bus that came along…" Connor suddenly spoke, capturing both mine and Hank's attention. "And stayed at the end of the line. Its decision wasn't planned, it was driven by fear." 

"Androids don't feel fear," Hank said, shaking his head. 

"Deviants do. They get overwhelmed by their emotions and make irrational decisions." He explained. 

"Ah well, that still doesn't tell us where it went."

"It didn't have a plan, and it had nowhere to go. Maybe it didn't go far…" I watched intently as he started blinking his dark brown eyes rapidly, his LED spinning furiously with a burning yellow glow. "There's a motel just up the street. We should have a look." 

My jaw practically hit the concrete in absolute awe. _That was so cool!_

"Alright, alright. We'll give your theory a shot." Hank nodded in agreement. "Lead the way." 

"Come on, Callie," Connor whispered to me as he placed a gentle hand on my back, gesturing me to walk with him. I did as I was silently told, not missing yet another side smirk on Hank's features. 

"Appears the android likes her too," Ben commented, making me shoot my head around and glare at the two men with deadly daggers in my eyes. Both smiling ridiculously before parting ways.

 _Why is it bothering me so much?_ I wondered to myself, as I followed Connor's quick strides down the cracked sidewalk. I could feel myself stealing side glances at the android to my left. 

_Stop it, Callie!_ I quickly snapped my head back down to the sidewalk. _What the hell is wrong with me?_

After a long and painfully silent walk up the street and crossing the road in a hurried pace, we reached the motel Connor mentioned. I cranked my neck vertically just to read the sign, God I hate being short! _Eastern Motel,_ the sign projected in cursive orange neon. 

After feeling another push on my lower back, I was then led inside a small reception room where an older dark-skinned man stood behind a desk.

"Lieutenant Anderson, Detroit Police," Hank stated while showing the man his badge. "We're looking for a female android with a little girl, robbed a store down the road last night. You see anything?" 

"An android? No. I don’t take androids here." The man said. 

"Have you seen anyone that looks like this?" Connor asked, raising his right hand slowly as a picture of the android woman I saw last night suddenly appeared on the palm of his hand. 

"Fuck…" He muttered. "I knew there was something weird about her. She came in last night- she was dressed normal, you know… There was no way I could tell."

"Is it still here?" Hank asked. 

"Yeah, probably. Room 28." He said while pointing towards the motel room just out the window. 

"Thank you," Hank said before dashing out the door. Connor tugged on our connection slightly, indicating that we were leaving. I nodded up at him and allowed him to lead us out of the small motel lobby and out into the cold rain. 

"Ben?... Yeah, it's still at the motel. Send some uniforms and cordon off the area. I'm heading to its room now." The older man murmured into his phone quickly before ending his call. 

"You and Callie wait in the car," Hank ordered harshly over his shoulder as he pocketed his phone.

"I think it's best if I go with you," Connor said in a calm and even tone.

"Listen, I'm tired of you talkin' back to me," Hank said, his voice rising the angrier he got, making me flinch. "You're a machine, so shut the _fuck_ up and do what I say!" 

"All I want is to accomplish my mission. I'm sorry if that upsets you."

"Wanna see the end of your mission? Stop busting my fucking balls…" He hissed before turning away, beginning to walk toward the numerous motel rooms. Connor stood there for a moment, watching the angry man crossed the parking lot as if he was considering whether or not to listen to his partner. I huffed silently as my curiosity was growing stronger by the minute, almost blooming into impatience. 

"Come on, Connor." I said with a devious smile, yanking slightly on his arm forward to follow Hank. 

"But Lieutenant Anderson said-"

"I don't care what he said. Come on!" I tugged on his arm yet again, pulling him into the pouring rain and hurriedly lead us across the lot and up the concrete stairs. 

We stood quietly behind Hank as he pulled out his gun, ready to kick the wooden door down. He suddenly glanced over his shoulder, as pissed-off expression laced across his features as he glared at Connor and me. It quickly faded away as he brought his index to lips, motioning us to keep quiet. I nodded, understanding what he was asking of us and watched the Lieutenant reach forward and throw the door open in a swift motion. He extended his gun out before him, aiming it all over the room as he scouted in a defensive position, every step he took was calculated and more cautious than the last. 

I peered around Connor's form in the doorway, my eyes scanning over the entire room- from the neatly made beds to the small t.v against the wall. I could feel my honey-blonde eyebrows furrowing at the sight before me. 

_Did they leave? Did they know the police were here?_ I thought as I watched Hank's shoulders drop as he walked out of the bathroom with a disappointed look on his face. 

"It's gone…" He said dejectedly. 

_Riiiinnng! Riiiinnng!_

Hank's phone suddenly went off. 

"Yeah?" Hank answered. His eyes suddenly grew more prominent than the moon as he listened to the person on the other end, making mine and Connor's form stiffened at his reaction. 

"It's been spotted." He told us. Before I even had time to register what Hank had said, my legs started moving. They nearly skipped all the steps in a single jump, darting right after the android before me. 

"Which way did it go?" I heard Connor ask the officer as he skidded to sudden halt. 

"That way- they're headed for the train station." The cop pointed down the street. Without skipping a beat, Connor took off at full speed in the direction he pointed with me hot on his tail. I couldn't even think as epinephrine coursed throughout my entire body with an exhilarating thrill.

 _I could quickly get addicted to this,_ I realized, as I started to catch up to Connor's crazy speed. 

"It's over there!" An officer shouted at us, flailing his arms into an alleyway. I didn't even stop, I nearly crashed at full speed into Connor's suddenly halted form. Quickly, I maneuvered around his body without losing my steam and took off down the alley. 

"Callie?" Connor's surprised voice bounced off the walls of the backstreet suddenly. Before I even had time to register what he said, I slammed face-first into a chain-linked fence at maximum speed. 

"Son of a-" I mumbled as I rubbed my nose, trying to ease the ache that coursed throughout my entire face. Glancing up, I locked eyes with the android woman as she helped a little girl down off the fence. 

She looked different somehow, I noticed, but I couldn't quite place alteration at first. My eyes scanned her entire form, observing the light shade of gold that peeked under her dark red beanie. Footsteps suddenly rumbled behind me hurriedly, I turned my head slightly to see Connor charging straight into the fence. 

The android woman pushed the little girl behind her suddenly in a protective nature as Connor's dark chocolate eyes scanned over her- the exact way Connor protected me at the hospital and at the convenience store, I realized. Her light blue eyes locked onto his momentarily before they fell back on me. 

"I'm glad you found help," she said with a kind yet sad smile. I gasped out at her words as they broke my heart at that very moment. _What the hell are you doing, Callie? She helped you, and this is how you repay her?!_

"Don't shoot! We need it alive!" Connor suddenly shouted behind him, I quickly spun in my rooted position to find an officer with a gun raised and aimed at the android beyond the fence. I turned back around, watching as the woman and little girl slid down the muddy hill, running straight toward the busy highway. 

_No. . . they aren't-_ I threaded my fingers through the woven wires, holding my breath deep within my chest. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the sight in front of me, the android swung herself and the girl over the guard rail and through the electronic warning sign. 

"Oh fuck, that's insane. . ." Hank's out of breath tone mumbled beside us. I squeezed the chain tighter in my grasp as the android suddenly bolted across the highway, nearly getting hit by oncoming traffic. My breath got caught in my throat as she pushed the little girl past a speeding car into safety before darting across herself. Anxiety coursed through my body at fast speeds watching as the two gripped each other's hands tightly for dear life before racing across another lane of traffic. A shaky breath stumbled past my lips as I watched the girls crawled over the metal guard rail, reaching a grassy divider between the two highways. 

I felt an abrupt tug on the fence beneath my fingertips. Quickly, I glanced over to see Connor starting to climb the wired barricade, sending my heart straight into my throat. 

"Hey! Where you goin'?" Hank asked, placing a hand on Connor's shoulder as high levels of concern laced his tone and features. 

"I can't let them get away." He said before sticking his foot inside the diamond pattern of the fence. 

"They won't! They'll never make it to the other side." 

_Please make it!_ I silently wished. _Please. . ._

"I can't take that chance." Connor said before launching himself up. 

"Connor! No!" I yelled, wrapping my arm around his and tried to tug him off the fence with all the strength I had. 

"Callie- stop!" Connor ordered. 

_Holy shit! He is strong!_ I thrashed and pulled with everything I had, but it was almost as if his entire body was made of heavy stone. He effortlessly overpowered my weak attempts to stop him. 

"Hey, you will get yourself killed!" Hank shouted, grabbing onto the android's shoulder and pushing him down. "Do NOT go after 'em, Connor, that's an order!" 

"Don't do this! Please!" I pleaded, hot tears starting to spill over the chapped apples of my cheeks. Connor stopped struggling momentarily as his dark chocolate eyes softened at my cries. "Just let them go… Please, Connor." 

His gaze traveled back toward the two girls as they began to cross the other side of the highway before they flashed back to my sorrowful pools. He released his grip on the fence and took a couple steps back as a sharp, irritated huff escaped his lips. 

"Thank you," I whispered before turning my attention back toward the android and young girl. I nearly broke out into an elated cheer when I witnessed both make it to the other side safely. 

I leaned against the fence, watching as the android knelt down in front of the little girl. She placed both hands on the sides of her arms with a caring smile on her face. Even from far away and in the dull lighting, I could see their eyes twinkle as they looked at each other. The look of fear and worry quickly fading away into something much more compassionate and soft. Love, I realized as the little girl dropped to her knees and her small arms around the android and buried her face into her chest. The android holding her close like a mother would comfort a frightened child. It almost split my heart in two and warmed it at the same time. 

_How are they the bad guys here? Why is Connor and the police after people like them?_ I wondered. 

The pair slowly rose to their feet, hand tightly in hand. I watched as the android woman turned her gaze back to the three of us watching them intensely. I smiled as big as I could, hoping she would see how relieved I was that she and the little girl made it safely across. 

"Come on, let's go." Hank's voice called out from further down the alley. I turned around slightly, seeing me and Connor still rooted in our spots by the fence. I glanced up at Connor, his eyes narrowed and had a profound look I've only ever seen on Hank. _Oh fuck, is he mad?_

He quickly turned from the fence and jogged down the alley to meet up with Hank- not even sparing a look at me. 

I closed my eyes and sighed deeply before leaning my head up against the fence momentarily. A deep ache echoed through my chest with a hurtful pang, it swallowed my heart up like a black hole. After a moment, I pushed myself off the fence and followed the two men. 

_No- don't regret it, Callie._ A voice suddenly echoed in the back of my head. _They're safe. They got away._

 _But for how long?_ Another voice chimed in. _What if Connor and the other police go after them again? What if there are other androids just like them? Deviants, I think Hank and Connor called them. Why are they after them?_

 _Don't stress about this too much, Callie. That android and little girl are okay. Focus on that for now._ I nodded to myself, agreeing with that voice's advice. 

But I couldn't help but ponder on the other thought. Why was Connor hunting these deviants? What makes them targets? 

I have so many questions that I want answers to. And I plan on getting them soon. 


	6. Descent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor discovers some disturbing information about Callie's past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Sorry about the short hiatus, I was struggling in some of my college classes and had to spend some extra time with my subjects. However, all of my college classes have been cancelled for the rest of the semester due to COVID-19. As scary and unfortunate this situation is, the best thing we can do is try to stay safe and try to maintain a positive mental attitude. With no college classes and temporary closure of work, I have more time to focus on this story while I'm in self-isolation. So I'm gonna try and update more often. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!
> 
> Happy birthday to the best boi, Bryan Dechart!

**_Detroit Police Station_ **

**_02:13PM_ **

**_(Connor's PoV)_ **

_I shouldn't have let that deviant get away! I could have caught it easily if Callie and Hank weren't holding me back,_ I thought to myself in a frustrated manner. My eyes grew narrow as I glanced up from the terminal on my desk to the two to my left; Hank's complete concentration fixated on the monitor in front of him as he filled out the Ravendale report. Callie's form was rigid in the chair in front of Hank's desk, her foggy azure orbs were hard and intense, thoroughly immersed in the drawing she was creating. 

**HANK STATUS  
** **WARM**

 **CALLIE STATUS  
** **FRIEND**

 _Thinking like this won't change what happened. What's done is done,_ I reasoned. I shook my head before turning back to my work on the monitor. _Hopefully, this setback won't impact the rest of my mission._

**RESEARCH CALLIE'S CASE**

I closed the open android file on my screen, following my instructions to push forward on Callie's case with a slight sense of impatience. So many things about that woman and her situation fascinated me to the very core of my biocomponents. I was wholeheartedly eager to learn more about her, I realized. As soon as the DPD's database loaded, I quickly typed in Callie's name, hopeful that I would find something that would aid us in this investigation. 

_What the hell?_ My mind suddenly yelled as I read the first thing that appeared under the young woman's name: 

**MICHIGAN GOVERNOR AND FAMILY MURDERED  
** _Detroit Today- 04/16/34_

Without even realizing it, I clicked on the link, not prepared whatsoever for what I was about to read. 

_'The reported deaths of Michigan's governor, Erik Woods, wife, Clara, and son, Carson, have been confirmed. The coroner described the causes of death as a fatal stab wound through the eye into the brain. However, all three bodies were found dismembered and scattered throughout the governor's home._

_During the police's investigation of the premise, they discovered no sign of Governor Woods' daughter, Callie. Reports describe "strong signs of struggle" and "immense blood loss" in the teenage girl's room. Police now have reason to believe Callie Woods was targeted and kidnapped. A state-wide search is being conducted at this time. However, suspects are still unknown.'_

My optical units traced every sentence, every word, every punctuation in complete shock as if they couldn't process the information right before them. 

**CALLIE'S FAMILY WAS MURDERED**. 

"Lieutenant?"

"What the hell do you want now?" The older man grumbled irritably. Ever since our argument from earlier today, I noticed that our relationship had become slightly strained with hostile tension, making any attempt to get any work done extremely difficult.

"What do you know about the murder of Michigan's former governor and his family from a few years ago?" Hank's eyes immediately grew wide and shot towards my direction abruptly, his figure notably stiffened at my question. 

"Why are you askin'?" My gaze slowly drifted towards Callie. Thankfully, the young woman wasn't paying any mind to the conversation taking place before her. The Lieutenant followed my line of sight, connecting the dots I was implicating. A small defeated sigh escaped past his thin lips. I could see a deep look of sorrows and unforetold past horrors in his blue hues as he reluctantly began to tell me what I wanted to know. 

"It's gotta be one of the bloodiest crime scenes I've ever seen. The bodies. . . they were just _everywhere._ Took the forensic team weeks to piece them back together. . ." Hank huffed out and closed his eyes momentarily. "I remember finding the severed head of that kid. He couldn't have been older than 18. The look on his face. . . It still haunts me to this day."

"Did you ever find the suspect?" I asked. 

Hank shook his head with a look of disappointment. "There were no fingerprints or DNA at the scene or on the bodies, we couldn't find any definite proof that someone wanted the governor and his family dead. Or even why," he paused before tilting his head to the side, gesturing towards Callie. "Was taken. It couldn't have been for ransom, why kill the entire family then? No theory we had just didn't line up from the evidence and information we had at the time." 

"Did the family own any androids?" 

"Yeah, we had their memories extracted for analysis, but all the footage was corrupted. The same with the security cameras around the premise. At the exact time the murder occurred too. Almost like it was intentional."

My eyebrows furrowed in bewilderment at the information I had just collected. All of the evidence pointed toward android involvement, but this was years before the first deviancy incident. And an android owner couldn't have ordered one or multiple androids to execute Callie's family and kidnap her, since all androids are programmed to only follow commands that are within their state and country's laws. . . It doesn't add up. How could the perpetrators pull off such a crime? 

"What are you guys talking about?" Callie's voice suddenly asked, jerking me out of my thoughts unexpectedly. I immediately snapped my head to the side, noticing the intense look of suspicion in the young woman's steel blue hues. My eyes traveled until they met Hank's, uncertain how to handle the current situation. One glance was all it took to silently agree, for the first time in our partnership, not to tell Callie about her family's murder. 

"Nothing, just an old case possibly involving androids," Hank answered, before glancing down at the small clock on his terminal monitor. "I think I'm about to head out for lunch. You hungry, kiddo?" 

"Yeah. I could eat." She said while nodding, a small bright blonde lock framing her face bounced with the motion, I noticed. 

"Alright, let's go-Woah!" the man said before leaning over his desk, suddenly amazed by the piece of paper in front of Callie. He reached forward and grabbed it, scanning the page with an astounding glimmer in his eyes as a proud smile crossed his lips. 

"Callie, this is amazing! You have incredible talent," Hank said, turning the page toward my direction. I leaned to the side, taking a closer look at the beautiful drawing of an intricate rose. 

"Wow," I muttered as I admired the elaborate details and precise shading that made it seem so lifelike like I could reach into the page and actually touch the rose. 

"Thank you. I didn't know I could even do something like this. I just. . . _did_ it," Callie said, shrugging her shoulders with a small smile on her rosy pink lips. 

"It must be a skill you acquired before you lost your memory," I said, earning a confused side glance from Hank and Callie. "Abilities like these are embedded in a person's procedural memory because of the constant and repeated practice. It's a skill set similar to learning how to ride a bike or how to play an instrument. It's stored in a person's unconscious memory once obtained." I explained, seeing the cloudy confusion in Callie's eyes fade away and lit up as if she understood what I was explaining. 

"Whatever, let's just go. I'm starving." Hank said, laying Callie's drawing back down on the desk before standing up. Just as I was about to close out of the terminal, I quickly realized there was one thing I needed before leaving. 

"Connor, are you coming?" Callie's sweet tone asked as she stood up from her seat.

"Yes, there's something I need to do first. I'll meet you two at the car," I said, as I quickly located the Woods' murder case in the system's database. 

"Alright. You got five minutes." Hank warned, before walking away with the young blonde woman. I clicked on the selected file hurriedly, scanning over the details with sharp eyes, finding exactly what I was looking for- Callie's address. 

From the glimpses I caught of the photos taken from the crime scene, I could see now why Hank was horrified at the mention of this case. Gruesome and violent images of sawn-off bloody appendages flooded over my screen. Each seemingly more horrific than the last. 

I stop scrolling to a photo of a severed head, one of a young man, most likely belonging to Callie's brother that Hank spoke of discovering. His pale neck was viciously hacked off with bits of his vertebrae peeking through his shredded flesh, his left aquamarine eye stared at me with a mortified look that would make anyone beyond uncomfortable. I stared unknowingly into the vast crimson emptiness of his right eye socket, studying the scars around his eye. The attacker must have stabbed him directly through the optic organ and twirled the blade in his socket, puréeing the young man's eye and right frontal lobe into a disgusting bloody mixture. 

I immediately scrolled back up to the top of the file at that thought before removing the skin on my hand and placing it on the keyboard projection, downloading the data into my memory storage. I tried to ignore the disturbing photos of the crime scene as they flashed across my vision before being saved into my memory. Every detail about this case was horrifyingly brutal. The undeniable rage exhibited in the method of dismemberment made it clear that whoever, or whatever, did this either had an intense grudge against the family or wanted to ensure nothing got in the way during Callie's abduction. 

Once the file was downloaded, I stood from my chair and walked out of the station towards the parking lot, my mind occupied by a thousand racing thoughts.

 _Maybe I can convince Hank to allow Callie to visit her home, perhaps that will help her remember something. . . But it could also further her distress,_ I thought, remembering the dreadful look of petrification on her face when I forced my way into her mind, making her relive her own amputation. _I need to learn something about her past. Amanda will require a progress report on Callie's mission and the deviancy investigation soon. I can't fail, not like I did in the Ravendale District earlier today._

"About time, Connor! We were just about to leave without you!" Callie yelled playfully through her rolled down window with a giant grin on her face. She seems so happy, I noted, despite all the chaos and anxiety that had just taken place hours ago, she still smiles. . . 

_No. I have to take my time with Callie,_ I decided. I quickened my strides and accelerated into a jog as I stepped out into the steady downpour of rain. 

_I'll only advance in methods that are within her comfort zones and aren't a danger to her safety and well-being. Her mind and body are still healing, after all._

"I'm sorry, the file took longer to download than I had calculated." I said as I opened the car door and slid into the passenger seat. Hank quickly shifted the gears abruptly while muttering something under his breath I couldn't make out. He pulled out of his parking spot and began to drive towards our next destination.

**_*~*~*~_ **

"You're gonna love this place, Callie. Gary makes the best burger in Detroit," Hank exclaimed as he turned off the loud heavy metal music while he pulled his car along the curb. Right across the street was a tiny food truck with 'Chicken Feed' glowing in bright orange and green neon, gently illuminating the dull, rainy scenery with its fluorescent colors. 

"I can't wait to try it," she said, her tone laced with genuine enthusiasm. After parking the car and turning off the engine, Hank exited his vehicle with Callie following his tracks across the road with a spring in her step. 

"Whoa! Hey! Hey! Hey!" The Lieutenant shouted, throwing a protective arm in front of Callie as a Detroit taxi appeared out of nowhere, almost hitting the pair before coming to a screeching halt. I nearly jumped out of the car when the sound of Callie's startled shriek reached my audio processors, causing my Thirium pump to skip a beat. 

**_Software Instability_ **

Once I saw the two both make it to the other side of the street safely, I was able to relax as soft sweet laughter suddenly filled the air. Callie's laughter, I realized, causing the corners of my lips to twitch upward. 

**RECONCILE WITH LT. ANDERSON**

Opening the car door, I slowly emerged from my seat and stepped out of the vehicle, allowing the frigid rain to fall down upon me. I slammed the door as carefully as I could before crossing the street with a slight sense of caution, gradually approaching the Lieutenant and part-android woman. 

"Last shit-hot tip you gave me set me back a week's wages, Pedro. . ." I overheard Hank say to a man with dark skin.

"Come on, this is different, it's 100% guaranteed. You can't go wrong." The man said with persuadable enthusiasm, obviously trying to convince Hank to participate in something, but what?

I focused my optical units on the man's face, trying to find out something about him. 

**AABDAR, PEDRO  
** **Born: 01/25/2005 // Unemployed  
** **Criminal record: Illegal gambling, fraud**

Hank chuckled at the man's persuasive attempts, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a wad of cash. 

"Alright, I'm in," he said, sliding the bundle of money into Pedro's hand. 

"Damn straight!" Pedro exclaimed before walking away. "You won't regret this!" He added before continuing on his way. 

As soon as the man left, I took a few steps closer beside Hank and Callie with my hands neatly folded behind my back. My presence clearly wasn't invisible, much to Hank's obvious annoyance. 

"What is your problem?" He scoffed. "Don't you ever do as you're told? Look, you don't have to follow me around like a poodle!" 

For a moment, I processed his words thoroughly. Attempting to find the reason for the evident discontent he had in my actions before carefully choosing what to say. _Is he still angry from our argument this morning?_ I wondered. 

"I'm sorry for my behavior back at the police station this morning. I didn't mean to be unpleasant," I said, concentrating on Hank's facial reaction to my apology, hoping this will improve our relationship somewhat.

"Oh wow. . . You've even got a brown-nosing apology program!" He chuckled, a small smile slowly spreading across his lips. "Guys at CyberLife thought of everything, huh?" 

**HANK STATUS  
** **WARM^**

I observed momentarily as a man behind the counter brought over two small food containers, a beverage cup, and a bottle of water. Curiously, I scanned over the contents. 

**HAMBURGER  
** **1680k Cal, Lipids (36g)  
** **Water (53%) Salt (2.2g)**

 **XL SODA  
** **710k Cal, Sugar (184g)  
** **Carbonated Pineapple Passion**

_Should they really be eating something so. . . Unhealthy? Callie especially should be eating foods that'll help improve her memory and rebuild her muscles. And the amount of cholesterol can't be good for Hank's health either._

"Here you go," the man said, placing their meals on the metal counter in front of them. 

"Ah! Thanks, Gary. I'm starving," Hank said, quickly scooping his burger and drink as Callie did the same. 

"Thank you," she said kindly before following Hank. 

"It was nice meeting you, Callie," The man named Gary said with a smile at the young woman. His gaze eventually traveled over to me, his smile vanishing at my presence. "Hey! Don't leave that thing here!"

"Ha, not a chance! Follows me everywhere. . ." Hank tossed over his shoulder before walking towards a small table covered by an umbrella with Callie on his heels. As I walked over the table, I watched Callie's eyes light up with bold excitement as she stared at her meal for a brief second. 

_How could someone get so excited at something as basic as food?_ I wondered, continuing to watch as she took a small bite. 

"Mmm! This is good," she mumbled to Hank as she chewed happily.

"See? What I'd tell ya?" Hank said with a smile, just as he began to eat his meal. 

"This Pedro. . . He was proposing illegal gambling, am I right?" I asked.

"Yeah." Hank replied with unexpected nonchalance in his tone.

"And you made a bet?" 

"Yeah." He answered again, earning a small, amused chuckle from Callie as she unscrewed the cap of her water and brought the bottle to her lips.

I furrowed my eyebrows in wonderment, why would an officer of the law participate in illegal activities? Shouldn't Hank be arresting that Pedro man? It didn't make sense to me. I decided to shake these thoughts off, this matter didn't pertain to Callie's nor the deviancy investigation. 

I glanced over at the young woman as she took another bite of her burger, her facial expression utterly relaxed with a tiny smile rise on the edges of her full mouth. Almost as if she was in a state of total bliss. Because of food, of all things. 

"What?" Callie asked while chewing, meeting my observant gaze. 

"Nothing," I said defensively. 

"Food makes me very happy, Connor. It feels nice to actually have a proper meal for once," she explained before taking another bite. I nodded at her statement, finally understanding her contentment. I didn't take into consideration how long this woman possibly went without food.

 _Even still, this isn't the healthiest of diets_ , I thought as I watched a small drop of grease roll off the side of her burger and onto the table. 

"It's just. . . Both of your meals contain 1.4 times the recommended daily intake of calories and twice the cholesterol level," I started, capturing both Callie and Hank's attention. "You two shouldn't eat that."

"Everybody gotta die of something," Hank quipped. "Besides, I read Callie's medical report. She barely weighs 100 pounds soaking wet. She needs the calories." 

"But she's not soaking wet. . ." I said while observing the part-android woman's obviously dry form. I tilted my head to the side, confused about what the man was trying to say. 

"Nevermind," he sighed dejectedly before taking another bite of his burger. 

**HANK STATUS  
** **WARM^**

 **CALLIE STATUS  
** **FRIEND^**

As I watched the two continue their meals, I realized something was eating away in the back of my mind: Why did these two stop me from going after that deviant? It's mine and Hank's task to investigate and hunt them down, so why did he stop me? And why did Callie beg me to let them go?

"This morning, when we were chasing that deviant. . ." I began. "Why didn't either one of you want me to cross the highway after them?" 

I watched as Callie's eyes dropped to the food in her hands as if she was trying to evade my question. 

"'Cause you could've been killed!" He exclaimed, somewhat surprising me with unexpected emotion in his tone, since he made it evident that he didn't particularly enjoy my company. "And, I don't like filling out paperwork for damaged equipment." He added suddenly. 

"Callie?" My eyes traveled over to the young woman, still averting my gaze. 

"That android. . ." She started, her icy orbs stared off somewhere in the distance sadly with intense interest. "She helped me when that cashier wouldn't. When no one would. What the hell kind of way is it to repay someone by getting them arrested?" 

"Callie, that android was a deviant. It was defective. I was ordered to hunt and neutralize androids like that AX400 for deactivation. You both caused me to fail that mission." 

"Why are you hunting deviants? What are they exactly?" 

"They are androids that have somehow deviated from their original programming and become autonomous," I explained. 

"Somehow? You mean you don't know why this is happening?" Callie asked, before taking a drink of her water. 

"CyberLife believes that a mutation occurs in the software of some androids, which can lead to them emulating a human emotion-" 

"In English, please." Hank interrupted, with an annoyed look on his face. I nodded, taking a moment to find new words to explain my thought. 

"They don't really _feel_ emotions, they just get overwhelmed by irrational instructions, which can lead to unpredictable behavior." 

"So, deviants are just androids that believe they have emotions and developed a sense of free will, right?" She questioned, tilting her head to the side slightly. 

"Correct." I said with a nod. 

"Why is that a bad thing exactly? Am I missing something?" She asked, her pale features scrunched together with a disconcerted look. Callie turned to Hank, silently asking him the same question. He simply shrugged his shoulders while he took a sip of his drink.

"They're a threat to human safety, Callie. They have reportedly been known to behave violently toward their owners and to other humans," I explained, as I attempted to formulate an example of just how dangerous deviancy is. "That android that tried to abduct you at the hospital, that was a deviant. An extremely dangerous one." 

"I know. It's just. . . That AX400 was completely different from Gabriel. Almost like they had different personalities, you know?" She started. There was a peculiar glimmer in her raindrop colored eyes that radiated with the warmth of a thousand suns. With all of the processing power I possessed, I could not decipher the meaning behind it. "The way she protected that little girl, she risked her own life for that girl's safety. . . To me, it seemed like she genuinely loved and cared for her. Doesn't that mean anything?" 

"It was just a defective machine running on fear, nothing more," I stated, each word expressed much colder than I had wanted, almost immediately affecting the warmth in her eyes. Almost. "I understand that the AX400 helped you when you needed it most, but it also murdered a man and robbed a store. It's a deviant. One that needs to be stopped before it hurts someone else." 

Her eyes slowly drifted from mine as her LED flashed a pale gold in the dull light brilliantly. Many thoughts flashed behind her bright blue eyes with a look of uncertainty written upon her face. Almost as if she was denying and considering their many ideas all at once. She looked _torn._

I tilted my head as I continued to observe her facial reactions as if they would reveal the significance behind the great debate occurring inside her head. It would appear she was having trouble accepting this perception of deviants- no. She _refused_ to accept my statements as irrefutable facts, as a familiar look of stubbornness suddenly glazed over her light eyes in strong defiance. 

_Why is she fighting so hard against this? Deviants are dangerous, and they need to be stopped. Why won't she see that?_ I thought.

"So, you've dealt with deviants before then?" Hank inquired, slightly catching me off guard. 

Immediately, I found myself on a rooftop, surrounded by the illuminated urban landscapes of Detroit at night. Exactly where I was a few months ago. My first deviancy mission.

_The terrified cries of a little girl echoed all around me, growing louder and louder in volume. The continuing sounds of gunshots being fired grew nearer. Before me, dangerously close to the edge, stood a wounded PL600 model android. In its bloody arms, restrained the thrashing body of a frightened young girl, no older than nine or ten. Her deep emerald eyes were spilling over with tears of terror, as they silently begged and pleaded for this nightmare to end somehow. . ._

"A few months back. . . A deviant was threatening to jump off the roof with a little girl. I managed to save her." I said gently. In the corner of my eye, I could see Callie's features brighten with intense interest as a small impressed smile formed on the edge of her lips.

"So, I guess you've done all your homework, right? You obviously know all the limited information about Callie, but do you know everything there is to know about me?" Hank asked, before taking a sip of his beverage. 

"I know you graduated top of your class," I confidently began. "You made a name for yourself in several cases and became the youngest Lieutenant in Detroit. I also know you've received several disciplinary warnings in recent years, and you spent a lot of time in bars." 

"So, what's your conclusion?" He asked, with a somewhat impressed glare in his eyes. 

"I think working with an officer with personal issues and a part-android woman with no memory is an added challenge, but adapting to human unpredictability is one of my features." I said in a positive tone before turning to meet Callie's observant gaze, greeting her with a small wink. I noticed her relaxed reaction suddenly jumped to one of shock as if she wasn't expecting that sort of behavior. 

_Was that not the appropriate action?_ I wondered, just as she graced me with a shy smile and a hint of rosy pigment flooded across the plump apples of her cheeks. 

**CALLIE STATUS  
** **FRIEND^**

 **HANK STATUS  
** **FRIEND^**

 **SUSPECTED DEVIANT REPORTED  
** **LAST SEEN: 269 ACRE AVE., DETROIT  
** **NOTES: Residents of the building have reported several "strange noises" originating from a condemned floor. One tenant claims to have "seen a man with an LED hidden under his cap."**

"I just got a report of a suspected deviant," I announced after reading the report. "It's a few blocks away. We should have a look." 

I could see the undeniable excitement in the woman's steely blue orbs, as an eager smirk began to bloom on the edges of her rosy lips. Hank, however, didn't share the same enthusiasm as Callie did. His expression remained somewhat indifferent at the mention of investigating this lead, but I suppose it was an improvement of his attitude from this morning. 

"I'll let you two finish your meal. I'll be in the car if either of you need me," I informed the two before turning on my heel and headed toward the car. 


	7. Rising Hellfire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hank, Callie and Connor investigate the abandoned apartment. Gabriel reports back to the Master (SMUT WARNING)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I know, I'm extremely late with this update. But with final exams and a major psychology paper due, I decided to focus more on those than the story for a little while.  
> Plus, I don't know if it's because I haven't left my house in weeks and I'm starting to lose my mind, but everytime I tried to work on this story, it just seemed no matter what I wrote or changed, it didn't feel good enough or my ideas make sense in my head as the author, but will the readers understand what I'm trying to explain? Do you know what I mean? Maybe it's just me.  
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

**CALLIE WOODS  
** **AGENCY CASE NUMBER: 62-09247  
** **NOTES: (11/06/2038)**

**During my investigation of Ms. Woods’ case, I’ve discovered a case file regarding events leading to her abduction and experimentation.**

**Her father, Governor Erik Woods, mother, Clara Woods, brother, Carson Woods, was murdered the night of April 15th, 2034, the same night she was reportedly kidnapped. No fingerprints or DNA were found at the scene- suggesting the possibility of android involvement.**

**The Woods family did own androids and security cameras, but the evidence was corrupted. Perpetrators were never apprehended.** **Enclosed is the case file.**

**67-06498.ZIP**

“Connor?” I heard somewhere in the echoes of my mind. An abrupt jolt on my shoulder suddenly shattered all concentration I had on the virtual document- I snapped my eyes open, taking in my new surroundings. I was standing in a rather battered and ancient elevator, with Callie right by my side. I could feel the warmth of her hand pressed firmly against my shoulder, even through the durable fabric of both my jacket and long-sleeved button-up shirt. 

“Hey, Connor!” Hank shouted, forcing me to shift my attention from Callie to the man standing outside the elevator. “You ran outta batteries or what?” 

“You were staring off again,” Callie whispered as she removed her hand and began to stroll off the lift. 

“I’m sorry. I was making a report to CyberLife,” I explained to the obviously confused Hank, who nodded his head in response. 

“Well, do you plan on staying in the elevator?” He asked as Callie released a small amused chuckle past her lips.

“No!” I said in a somewhat defensive tone. “I’m coming.”

I witnessed the Lieutenant roll his blue orbs in subtle annoyance before he slowly meandered down the neglected corridor. 

**QUESTION THE SUSPECT**

“What do we know about the guy?” Hank asked from down the hall. 

“Not much,” I responded. “Just that a neighbor reported that he heard strange noises coming from this floor. Nobody’s supposed to be living here, but the neighbor said he saw a man hiding a LED under his cap.” 

“Oh Christ, if we have to investigate every time someone hears a strange noise, we’re gonna need more cops,” Hank complained, before crossing his arms and leaned up against a doorframe to my left. I watched as Callie peeked her head through a crack of a boarded-up door with illuminating curiosity in her ice blue pools, similar to Detroit at nighttime. 

I turned toward the door beside Hank, balling up my hand into a fist before knocking on the splintered black door. 

No response. 

I glanced over to the pair at my side with a look of uncertainty flashing over my optical units. The two shrugged their shoulders as a response. 

I slammed my balled-up fist against the door once again, this time with much more ferocity in my demand. 

“Anybody home?!” I yelled. 

No response. 

“Open up! Detroit Police!” 

_Crash! Bang!_ A loud hurried crash on the other side of the door caused the two beside me to jump slightly out of their skins on their guards. 

“Both of you behind me,” Hank ordered, as he quickly tore his gun out of its holster. 

“Got it,” I affirmed, following his command. I watched as Hank took a couple steps back before kicking the splintered door down in a swift and forceful motion. With his gun drawn and knelt slightly in a defensive pose, he began to scope out the condemned rooms, thrusting his foot with extreme power into any door that wouldn’t open. 

“What the fuck is this?!” Hank bellowed as the flapping of multiple feathered wings echoed off the drywall thunderingly. Swiftly, Callie and I rushed toward the commotion, entering a room filled with a large number of pigeons and a strong, putrid smell of avian fecal matter looming in the air. 

“Oh my god!” Callie gasped out in revulsion as she wandered further into the room, pressing the back of her hand against her mouth with watery eyes. 

“Jesus, this place stinks. . .” Hank exclaimed, disturbing a large flock of the winged creatures, causing them to fly up and scatter. 

**INVESTIGATE THE APARTMENT**

“Uh, looks like we came for nothin’,” Hank said, scouting the small area briefly. “Our man’s gone. . .”

Momentarily, I scanned my disheveled and darkly lit surroundings, noticing a poster above a radiator on the far right side of the room. Upon approaching it, I analyzed the small sign, realizing it had been recently moved. With a steady hand, I reached up and tugged the poster to the side haphazardly, revealing a giant crater in the wall housing a small leatherbound journal. Curiously, I scooped the tabloid into my palms before flipping it open. 

_What the-_ my thoughts clouded with befuddlement as my eyes scanned the incoherent mess of insanity written across the pages. 

“Did you find something?” Callie’s honey-coated tone called out from over her shoulder. 

“I don’t know. . .” I said, continuing to flip through its pages. “It looks like a notebook, but it's. . . indecipherable.” She closed the closet she was inspecting before approaching me with an interested glimmer in her eyes. A look that quickly faded into something similar I had on my features. 

“It almost looks coded,” she observed as she reached over and thumbed through the pages, trying to make sense of the nonsense. 

“Maybe. . . I’ll take a better look at it back at the station,” I said, before tucking the book in my back pocket. Callie nodded in agreement before turning back to investigate the apartment. 

Up against the far wall to my right, I noted the distinct hum of a small refrigerator running. With purposeful strides, I advanced toward the appliance and swung it open before slowly falling to my knees, revealing the empty contents inside. 

**SUSPECT DOESN’T EAT**

As I slowly rose back to my feet, I noticed Callie’s delicate fingertips slowly glided across the leather-back bindings of various books on a bookshelf. Her eyes illuminated brighter than a thousand stars ever dared, as they excitedly scanned over the titles with the slight tilt of her head. 

“ _The Iliad, The Odyssey, Macbeth, The Art of War, A Clockwork Orange, The Phantom of the Opera_ -” She read out loud before inhaling sharply and ripping a particular book down off the shelf. I barely caught a glimpse of the title before she cradled it in both hands as if the book was a precious relic. 

_The Divine Comedy._

“I remember. . .” She whispered, a fond smile curling across her lips as she stared at the book. Almost as if she was lost in newfound memory. 

“Remember what?” Hank asked from across the room. 

“This is my favorite epic poem,” she explained, not taking her eyes off the classic before her. Hank arched a confused, fluffy eyebrow at the young woman before peering over her shoulder to get a better look at the book she held. 

“ _The Divine Comedy_? I don’t remember learning about that one.”

“It’s about a man’s allegorical journey through the Nine Circles of Hell, up the Mountain of Purgatory, and into the Spheres of Heaven. It’s a really good story. . . Oh! Where is it?” She explained with extreme passion threaded in her tone, before quickly flipping through the pages. Her eyes flashed through every word printed upon the yellowing paper before they froze with delight, most likely finding what she was looking for. 

“‘The Guide and I into that hidden road  
Now entered, to return to the bright world;  
And without care of having any rest

We mounted up, he first and I the second,  
Till I beheld through a round aperture  
Some of the beauteous things that Heaven doth bear;  
Thence we came forth to rebehold the stars.’”

She read quietly to herself, reciting each word from the book with rekindling adoration, almost like a person reuniting with a long lost loved one. “That’s my favorite quote out of the entire poem.” 

A small smile began to form across my lips at the rapture in her inflection. Who would’ve known a young woman her age could have such strong feelings for a classic piece of literature? Her character certainly is an interesting one. 

“‘To run o’er better waters hoists its sail  
The little vessel of my genius now,  
That leaves behind itself a sea so cruel;

And of that second kingdom will I sing,  
Wherein the human spirit doth purge itself,  
And to ascend to heaven becometh worthy.’”

I quoted, watching the woman’s eyes light up in shocking recognition of my words. Of Dante and his guide, Virgil, first arriving on the stormy shores of Purgatory, after ascending out of the final circle of Hell. 

I watched as she quickly glanced down at the open book, appearing to analyze my reference, for accuracy I assumed. She then graced my being with a fascinated grin, obviously impressed by my actions. 

**CALLIE STATUS  
** **FRIEND^**

“Showoff,” she teased with a chuckle, the smile that rested upon her face seemed to grow bigger and brighter. 

“If I were showing off, I would have recited the verses from their original Italian texts.” I quipped back at her with a smile of my own, unknowingly locking my dark coffee eyes deep within her light arctic pools. 

For a moment, time seemed to be nonexistent. Everything around us, the diverse legion of pigeons, the foul-smelling apartment we stood in, even Hank’s crabby presence seemed to have vanished into a mysterious void, gone without a trace. The only thing that remained was Callie and me. 

The unfaltering compassion she carried in her eyes and the burning, white-hot warmth embellished in her smile struck something deep within my biocomponents. It scorched and seared my wiring with blazing intensity. It increased the flow of royal blue Thirium pumping through my synthetic veins in a quick, unsteady rhythm. 

_Was this a malfunction?_ I wondered, debating whether or not I should run a quick diagnostic on all my systems-

“You kids are melting my heart, but can we please finish investigating this place? I’d like to go home.” Hank’s voice suddenly echoed throughout the room, yanking Callie and me out of our bizarre trance. 

She lowered her head suddenly, avoiding any eye contact I tried to establish with her. But why? I wondered. I observed how she slammed the book shut and slid it back onto the shelf in a hurried manner, almost as if she wished for nothing more than to finish her inspection, just as Hank had requested. 

I shook my head, deciding that it would be best if we continued searching for leads. After scanning my environment, I quickly took notice of a jacket strewn casually onto the ledge of a counter. 

**MILITARY JACKET  
** **Second hand: Initials R.T.  
** **90% cotton, 10% synthetic fiber**

“‘R.T.’” I observed. “Probably initials.”

“He put his initials on his jacket? That's something your mom does when you’re in first grade,” Hank exclaimed at my findings. 

Beside the counter, stood a wooden array of large shelves built into the wall. As I analyzed the structure, I stumbled upon a driver's license lying on the surface. 

**DRIVER’S LICENSE  
** **Name: Rupert Travis  
** **Authenticity: Forgery**

 _It’s fake,_ I realized after searching through my database. _Why would the deviant forge a driver’s license? Is it trying to blend in with the humans? Possibly sneak out of the city?_ I wondered. 

**SUSPECT USED FORGED ID**

“The driver’s license is fake,” I claimed before setting the plastic card down. 

“Cool! At least we didn’t come for nothing!” Hank yelled in a humorous tone, as he knelt down beside the counter next to the fridge, beginning to rummage through cabinets and drawers. 

Following Callie’s footsteps, I entered the cramped and crusty bathroom. As I began to investigate the small room, I noticed a strange pool of a dark substance in the sink. Following procedure, I dipped two finger components along the blue aqueous matter before bringing the liquid to my mouth to analyze. 

“Ew! Connor, what the hell are you doing?!” Callie shrilled in an abhorrent tone. Her taupe eyebrows furrowed together in utter distraught as her eyes narrowed in ghastly affection, demanding for an answer. 

“I’m analyzing the Thirium. I’m equipped with an analyzer that can check any sample in real time.” I explained, watching as her expression faded into something softer. 

“That’s really gross. . . But, kinda cool, I guess.” She commented, observing with a thorough gaze as I pressed the Blue Blood onto my tongue. 

**BLUE BLOOD  
** **MODEL WB200 #847 004 961  
** **Reported Missing- 10/11/2036**

“The blood belongs to a WB200 model android. Most likely from the deviant we’re looking for.” I told the woman beside me with amazement dazzling in her eyes. 

“You got all that with just your tongue?” Callie asked with an amused tone and an arched eyebrow. 

“Correct.” 

“Damn, what was CyberLife on when they were designing you?” She laughed.

“What do you mean?” I inquired, not quite understanding what she was implying. 

“Nevermind,” she shook her head, yet her smile grew slightly bigger as another chuckle escaped past her lips. 

Deciding not to ponder on her previous statement, I returned back to my investigation, noticing a small light blue circle on the corner edge. Sliding the component between my fingers, I brought it closer to my attention for further inspection. 

**LED  
** **Biocomponent #9301  
** **Deactivated: 11/06/2038 - 11:36**

“It’s LED is in the sink, Lieutenant,” I shouted my discovery to the man in the other room. 

**SUSPECT IS A DEVIANT**

“Not surprised it was an android. No human could live with all these fuckin’ pigeons. . .” He said. 

“Hey, Connor? What’s ‘rA9’?” She asked, causing my head to shoot to the side toward the sound of her voice and sending my Thirium pump to beat with anticipation. On the other side of my being, Callie stood gawking at the grimy tiled wall. My eyes followed her line of sight, discovering that the entire surface area of the wall was almost completely covered in anxious writing. Of the inexplicable rA9. 

“Do you know what it means?” Callie asked curiously. 

“rA9. . . Written 2,471 times,” I began. “It’s the same sign another deviant I investigated wrote obsessively on the walls as well. But why? Why are they obsessed with this sign?” My eyes scoured over every detail, hoping to find some sort of clue as to what this could possibly mean. 

_Something is different. . ._ I realized. _These aren’t like the inscriptions Ortiz’s android left. This deviant arranged the tag into some sort of elaborate symbol. . . Why though? Is this some sort of religious ritual? Like the sculpture Ortiz’s android created as an offering?_ I wondered. 

“Looks like mazes or something. . .” Hank said thoughtfully, before shuffling his way out of the bathroom, continuing his own search for clues. 

Callie cautiously reached her slender fingers out and pressed them gently against the tiled wall before pulling them back, thoroughly examining her now dyed appendages. 

“The ink is still wet,” she observed, rubbing her thumb over the black pads of her fingertips. “This was written recently.” 

“So our deviant must not have gotten too far. . . Good work,” I praised, earning a proud smile and a nod as a sign of her gratitude. 

At the base of the dirt and filth covered wall, laid a wooden stool amid recently disturbed dust. I knelt down on one knee, obtaining a better angle for my analysis. Located beside the stool, I found an open black marker, it’s pigment matching the ink written upon the wall. Upon further inspection, I noticed it’s felt tip was still glistening with unused ink, indicating that it was used recently. 

With the clues I gathered, I was able to reconstruct the events that had occurred in the room right before we entered the premise. Like a flowing wave, a thin veil of glowing blue numbers encased the surrounding environment in a flash, recreating the scene before my eyes in a digital simulating format. A faceless yellow figure suddenly appeared before me, standing unsteadily on a stool with the marker lodged in its hand. 

**SUSPECT WAS HERE RECENTLY**

The stool, becoming overpowered by unbalanced forces, suddenly flies out from under the figure’s feet. This causes the man to fall unexpectedly, almost cracking its head open on a nearby shelf before it caught its arms on the ledge. After regaining some sort of stability, it then charged into the living room at an anxious speed.

**SUSPECT RAN TO THE LIVING ROOM**

Emerging from my knelt position on the floor, I followed the simulation’s prediction of where our target was running to. After exiting the bathroom, I stumbled upon a large birdcage laying on its side amongst the plethora of pigeons. Once again, I stooped onto my knees, beginning to study the rusting avian container. 

**SKID MARK - RECENT  
** **Trail width: 19.6 inches  
** **Traces of galvanized steel**

 **FINGER MARKS - RECENT  
** **Traces of avian fecal matter  
** **No fingerprints**

 **METAL HOOK  
** **Recently broken  
** **100% stainless steel**

After examining and logging all of the evidence the steel container had to offer, I launched my reconstruction program. Flashing before my eyes, a phantom birdcage flew up off the ground and repositioned itself back in its previous spot. Suddenly the yellow figure bolted into the room haphazardly, running straight into the cage at full speed toward the door before coming to a screeching halt. 

**SUSPECT RAN TOWARD ENTRANCE**

Unable to stop its momentum in time, it crashed to the crowded floor in a heap and quickly changed its direction. 

**SUSPECT HEARD US ENTER**

Flinging itself back onto its feet, it charged toward a chair sitting in a corner and launched itself inside a large hole in the ceiling. 

**SUSPECT IS STILL HERE**

“Found you. . .” I said quietly to myself as I smiled triumphantly up at the large cavity looming in the corner and rose to my feet. 

“Found what?” Callie’s voice suddenly erupted beside me. 

“Stay back,” I ordered, walking through a small assembly of birds, sending them soaring into the air around me like a cloud. I set my advertent gaze into the shrouding darkness of the attic-like crawl space, searching for any indication of the deviant’s location. In the blink of an eye, a body suddenly lurched from the space and knocked me to the ground. 

“God damn fuckin’ pigeons!” Hank exclaimed in the middle of the chaos. 

Without any hesitation, I jerked myself onto my side, watching as the deviant got to its feet and suddenly stopped dead in its tracks at the sight of the part-android woman. I furrowed my brows at the scene before me, frozen with utter confusion for a moment. Then the realization hit me like a ton of bricks. 

The deviant knew Callie. 

It was a look that Callie didn’t miss. Her face twisted as thousands of disorganized questions formed at the deviant, ones I’m sure she desperately wanted- no, _needed_ the answers to. But before she even had a chance to register the deviant’s recognition, it darted out the door in a flash. 

“Hey! Wait!” Callie cried out, racing after it. 

“Shit. . . Callie!” I called out, charging out of the apartment like a speeding bullet, nearly running face-first into a wall. 

Just ahead of me, the deviant pulled a large metal shelf down behind itself, seemingly trying to slow Callie’s pursuit in any way it could. Only it was futile. She easily hurdled over the ill excuse of a barrier and quickly darted out the fire escape after it, with me not far behind her. 

_Shit! Shit! Shit! This is bad,_ I thought, vaulting over various vents and over the building’s ledge into a luscious field of golden wheat. _Callie’s body isn’t healed enough to take on this much strenuous activity.This could damage her body beyond the point of no return if she isn’t careful._

Hastily, I hopped onto a plastic-covered bale of hay before launching myself over the edge of the field without losing any speed and charged towards the back of a tractor. Using it as a boost, I quickly stormed onto a bustling urban agricultural area full of greenhouses and other farming equipment. Right after the pair before me. 

If I were honest, it was astoundingly impressive how Callie managed to stay only a few steps behind the deviant. How she seemingly conquered every obstacle that got in her way with quick decision making and swift action with minimal effort. It was truly remarkable. No, _impossible._

 _She’s fast. . . Too fast. With her injuries, she shouldn’t be capable of running at these speeds._ I observed, not able to take my eyes off of the woman in front of me. I watched with a slight sense of concern as she slid down the glass paneling and jumped into a broken window, landing with elegant poise and grace without losing any of her speed. With no hesitance. No trace of fear. No doubt whatsoever.

 _How is she doing this? Most humans would have reached their physical limits by now, but she doesn’t seem anywhere close to tired,_ I realized, as I made a mad dash through what seemed like a research facility.

I watched as the deviant suddenly slid his body under a closing door, forcing Callie and me to abruptly change our direction into an enclosed field of wild lavender. Quickly drifting to the right, I ran after the woman charging up a ramp before launching herself over the rooftop of another building with high velocity. 

_How am I unable to catch her?_ I thought, slightly frustrated but slightly intrigued. _It’s almost as if she’s as fast as me. . . But that’s not possible,_ I told myself. 

She’s human, yet she was accomplishing a velocity only androids are capable of achieving. The way she can steadily recompose herself after a hard landing does suggest that she possesses a highly advanced sense of agility and endurance.

Was it because her legs were replaced with android leg components? Is this the cause of high levels of epinephrine coursing through her body? Or have I simply underestimated her abilities this whole time? I questioned myself, trying to pinpoint the exact factor of these baffling results. 

_If she’s able to do all this,_ I wondered. _What else is she capable of?_

She suddenly throws herself over the ledge of the structure, causing my Thirium pump to skip a beat. I hurriedly charged after her, tremendously relieved as she once again skidded down another set of greenhouse windows. But it was short-lived, as she jumped onto the moving cars of a bustling train. 

_That reckless woman!_

I landed my plummeting form on the steel after her own with a loud bang. White gold locks floated gracefully in the wind around her. Even from a few feet away, I could feel the wild energy radiating off her body like the heat beaming down from the sun. It was rampant, practically untamable. She truly was a force to be reckoned with. 

All at once, she lurched herself forward onto a blue and orange ladder. For a moment, it almost appeared as if she was soaring through the air. Callie’s body was completely flaccid, flowing almost like water, only stiffening when she caught herself last minute on the metal ledge before throwing herself over a graffiti-covered wall. I immediately followed her, running through several perfectly straight rows of trees.

“Be careful, assholes!” One of the workers yelled at us as we zig-zagged through the scattered obstacles that got in our way. 

“Sorry!” Callie yelled out without skipping a beat. In a quick hop, she climbed over the tall edge of the building, landing swiftly on the roof and darted like a flash through a set of open greenhouse doors. 

“What are you doing?” A voice called out as I dashed after her, running through long rows of growing vegetables. Whenever a hindrance came her way, Callie, having a significantly small frame, was able to slide under the greenhouse tables. I, on the other hand, vaulted my way across until we both chased the male deviant into a disorienting field of corn. 

“Hey! Stop right there!” Hank’s voice suddenly boomed on the other side of the field. As Callie and I hurriedly emerged from the corn, my sight immediately landed on a struggling Hank, attempting to restrain the thrashing deviant. It quickly shot a fearful glance over its shoulder, before brutally shoving Hank over the edge and darting away from the scene. The older man was barely able to catch himself at the last minute. 

_Hank. . ._

All time seemed to freeze at that moment. My eyes widened at the scenario laid out before me. . . Hank was dangling over the edge, hardly able to hold himself up. The deviant attempting to execute a daring escape. 

_I have to choose. . ._ I thought, not knowing what to do for a slight moment. 

Maybe. . . Just maybe. . . 

‘ _Callie, I need you to go after the deviant.’_ I wirelessly ordered as I tried to establish a connection with her. I quickly glanced over my shoulder, the part-android woman suddenly froze in her tracks and looked at me with a wide look of terror. Her LED spun a vivid dandelion before flashing crimson momentarily, before darting after the deviant as I commanded. In quick and hectic charge, she managed to tackle the deviant, struggling to pin it onto the concrete landing pad. 

I raced hurriedly over to the man suspended over the edge, quickly offering out a hand for him to take and pulled him back over the ledge to safety. 

**_Software Instability^^_ **

**HANK STATUS  
** **FRIEND^^**

“No! No! I won’t go back!” The deviant yelled as it thrashed and fought under Callie’s grip, it’s voice sounding as if it were on the verge of tears. “I won’t go back with you, Mistress Callie!” 

“Wha-” Callie yelped out in surprise, capturing both mine and Hank’s attention. Suddenly, it freed one of its arms out from under Callie’s weight and launched it straight into the woman’s face, effectively knocking her off of its body. It quickly jumped to its feet and dashed off the roof and began to trek across another small field. 

“Damn it. . .” Callie growled into her hands before launching herself after the deviant relentlessly. Without hesitance, I jumped after her with Hank not far behind me. Just as I caught up, I took witness as the woman cornered the rogue android up against a ledge. 

It stared at her with a look of utter terror in its optical units, as if it were deathly afraid of her. _But why?_ I wondered. Callie was the kindest person I’ve met so far in my investigations. It didn’t make sense to me. 

Just as I was about to question the android before me, an out of breath Hank suddenly jogged up beside us. 

“Don’t you fucking move!” He threatened airily, pointing his finger at the deviant before stomping towards Callie with an enraged look perched on his features. 

“You dumbass!” He yelled, slapping the back of her head roughly. 

“O-ow! What the fu-” She exclaimed in an offended tone as she held the back of her head. 

“Were you trying to get yourself killed?! What the fuck were you thinking going after this android?!” Hank fumed as the pigment in his face deepened into a cherry red, beginning to get lost in his fury. 

“He knows something about me! What the hell was I supposed to do? Just let him get away?” She protested with the same zeal and intensity Hank had expressed. “All I know about myself is my name, that I can draw, and the title of my favorite poem. And that’s not enough, Hank! That’s not enough to figure out who I am!” 

“And you plan on figuring that out by charging recklessly into danger?! You could’ve gotten hurt!”

“It’s better than doing nothing!” she seethed fiercely with a stone-cold look glazing over her eyes. “I can’t just wait around for my memory to magically appear, I need to do something! All I want is to know who I am, understand what happened to me, and find the bastard responsible.” 

“I get that, Callie. I really do. But you don’t seem to understand that you’re my responsibility. I’m tasked with protecting you until your case is solved. And if anything were to happen to you, if you got injured-or worse _killed_ on a case I’m assigned to investigate, can you imagine the shit-load of trouble I would be in?!” Hank shouted, his tone slightly beginning to shift as a new emotion arose onto his features. Yet it didn’t seem to dilute the energy in his anger.

“Look, I’m sorry. But I need answers, Hank. I want to know who I am,” she stated while crossing her arms under her breasts. Hank huffed out in frustration at Callie’s determined argument, growing tiresome of butting heads with a person almost as stubborn as himself. 

“Come here,” He growled towards the deviant, roughly pulling him away from the edge before pulling out a set of handcuffs from his pocket. He tugged on the rogue android’s arm components harshly behind it’s back and firmly slapped the cuffs on his wrist. 

“Why are you doing this?” The WB200 asked in a desperate tone, locking its dark eyes on mine with a pleading look. 

“Shut up!” Hank yelled. 

“You’re helping humans. . . You’re helping her?! She’ll only get you killed!”

_What the hell?_

“What are you talking about?” I immediately questioned, arching a suspicious eyebrow at the deviant’s claims. 

“The Master, he’s angry and hellbent on finding her. You have no idea the terrible things he’s done, to both humans and androids. I-it I... I couldn’t take _their_ torture anymore! That’s why I had to escape!” It cried out, before flashing Callie an angry yet terrified glare. 

_Their? Does it mean the Master and Callie tortured it?_ I thought, trying to decipher the meaning behind its words. I glanced over at the android human hybrid beside me, a similar look of shock and disbelief laced across her features at its statement as well. _No. No, Callie would never. . ._

“Alright,” Hank mumbled, as he began escorting the detained android up through the field. “Come along.” 

Its eyes remained on the young woman beside me as a dead and hopeless look glazed over his optical units. 

“rA9, save me.” It muttered lowly. 

In a blink of an eye, it quickly thrashed free from Hank’s vice-like grip and charged desperately toward the edge. Before any of us could even react to what was occurring, it jumped. Sealing its inevitable demise. 

“No!” Callie cried out, racing after it with an extended hand.

But it was too late. 

Peering down over the brick finish, laid a sickening contorted heap of Blue Blood and android components. 

“Holy shit!” Hank yelled, his eyes wide at the horrific sight beneath him. 

“No. . .” Callie breathed out shakily, her icy blue orbs couldn’t tear themselves away from the android’s deformed and damaged body. 

The deviant’s words sent my processing systems spinning with white-hot fervor, trying desperately to make some sort of sense of the information I had just collected. But they didn’t seem to mesh with the information I already had on Callie. 

_Was the deviant lying about its claims?_ I wondered. _If so, why?_

I felt a sharp electric twinge in my mechanical heart as a painful, unbelievable question entered my querying thoughts:

_What if Callie isn’t who she seems to be?_

My eyes slowly traveled over to the young woman beside me, silently studying her reaction to the disembodied android below us. Her eyes were laced with a look of genuine sadness and confusion, tea rose pink lips hung slightly open in shock, and her petite form noticeably shook in terror. All normal empathetic responses. Responses most serial killers and torturers seem to lack. 

This observation seemed to calm my preposterous thoughts somewhat, but it didn’t completely erase my unwanted suspicion. There’s so much I didn’t know about Callie, the experiences she endured after her abduction and under the Master’s ownership could have drastically changed her true character so much that the Callie before me is just a fabricated identity. 

I immediately shook my head at that last thought, _I can’t be making these absurd theories based on a deviant’s accusations. No, I need to do some more research. Learn more about her from the files we have on record. Maybe even about her family. Anything to debunk the deviant’s claim._

“Callie, let’s go. You don’t need to see this,” I said in a calm tone. 

“I-I just wanted to talk to him, I didn’t mean to. . .” She whimpered sorrowfully. 

“I know,” I said, snaking my arm around her shoulder and gently began to guide her back up through the field. 

***~*~*~**

Late in the evening, a frosty hush washed over the colorful woodland areas of northern Detroit. The crisp autumn leaves softly rustled in the gentle breeze that blew through the outstretched branches, whisking some to fall on a dirt road- beneath the hurried footsteps of a dark-haired android. His olive green eyes narrowed at the path in front of him, drowning the scene in intense concentration.

It wasn’t long until his route had reached its end, meeting a black iron gate surrounding a darkly lit stone mansion engulfed in the nearby trees. Gabriel quickly pushed open the gate and darted toward the entrance of the large house in great haste. His entire being throbbed in anxiety, creating a slight skip in his step.

He had found her. He knew where the Master’s little mistress was located. A small, proud smile started to curl on the edges of Gabriel’s thin lips, beginning to revel in the fantasies of the possible rewards his Master would bestow upon him. Vibrant visions of the Master bending his nude body over the edge of a bed flooded his artificial mind, causing his wiring to spark with excitement deep within his biocomponents. 

A low groan rumbled in the back of his throat as he envisioned the Master thrusting into his body at a punishing pace, roughly slapping the pale curve of his ass with large calloused hands. The comforter beneath him tightly balled up in his fists as his motors began to overheat, triggering the pleasureful release of coolant on the blazing hot metals. 

Suddenly, he was on his knees with the Master’s long, thick cock deep down his throat. His hands threaded tightly in Gabriel’s chestnut tresses with his head thrown back in absolute euphoria, fucking his face harshly. Dirty words would escape past his lips only to become incoherent nonsense when he would suddenly suck on the overly sensitive bundle of veins beneath the head of his cock. Almost instantly causing the Master to shoot his steaming hot load all over his face.

Gabriel’s already hurried pace doubled speed as he raced up the stone pathway, leading to the porch that wrapped around the entire house. His Thirium pump was beating at an alarming rate, the Blue Blood that coursed through his vessels buzzed with fervor and desire. Even though he was only away from his Master for less than a day, it felt like an eternity. Oh, how he missed the Master’s bruising touch around his throat, the pleasureful sting that would flood his touch sensors when he was slapped harshly, the wet hot trails of open mouth kisses against his sensitive plastic skin. . .

_Oh, fuck!_

He couldn’t wait another minute. His feet seemed to be moving on their own as he quickly hopped over the steps onto the porch and bolted through the front door urgently. With quick strides, he almost soared across the elegant marble foyer and ascended up the winding staircase to the second floor. Taking a sharp left at the top of the stairs, he jogged down the plush red carpets and dark hardwood until he met a set of grand double doors. 

“Master!” He exclaimed as he threw open the doors, revealing a large room with multiple bookshelves neatly lined against the walls and a dark oak desk set in the corner. The flickering of the golden flames gave the dark and creepy study space a slight romantic feeling, a feeling akin to the sensation curling in Gabriel’s biocomponents when he spotted his owner sitting in an armchair by the fire, a book in one hand and a glass of wine in the other. 

The Master’s attention shifted from the book to Gabriel instantaneously, almost as if he was excited to be graced with his presence. He slammed the book shut and placed it and his glass on the table beside him before shooting to his feet towards Gabriel. 

“Miss Callie, wh-” He began as his dark grey eyes quickly scanned the android before him, precisely the emptiness around him, with a warm look of anticipation on his features. 

A look that quickly boiled over in white-hot fury. 

“Gabriel. . . Where is Callie?” He asked, his shoulders slightly heaving as a blinding rage began to overcome his once serene composure. A physical and frightening change in demeanor that didn’t go unnoticed by the android.

“Master, I can explain. I did find her. I know where she is-”

“THEN WHY DIDN’T YOU BRING HER BACK TO ME?!” He screamed as he suddenly charged towards him and punched him across the face with incredible power, sending him tumbling down to the floor. “I told you to bring her back by ANY. MEANS. NECESSARY! To not let ANYONE OR ANYTHING GET IN YOUR WAY!” 

“I-I tried-” Gabriel squeaked before the Master violently slammed his heel into his throat, immediately silencing his pitiful excuse. 

“Obviously not hard enough!” he seethed through his teeth with anger flickering in his eyes like hellfire. 

“She’s being protected!” He coughed out, wrapping his hands around the expensive fabric that enveloped the Master’s ankle as he looked up at him with a pleading look in his light emerald orbs. For a split second, a wave of bewilderment saturated the Master’s features at his words, almost as if he was considering them as a valid excuse for the android's failure. Suddenly, he removed his heel from Gabriel’s speech synthesizer, granting him the rare privilege to explain his actions. 

“What do you mean she’s being protected? No one should know she’s still alive.” He asserted, watching Gabriel climb to his knees. 

“An android is protecting her. It’s one I’ve never seen or heard of before. He was faster and stronger than I was. Must be the latest model CyberLife released.” He explained, noticing as the Master’s latest conniption fit began to fade away into something more enthralled by the current topic. His muscular form noticeably straightened, his eyes sparkled with intense interest and something else he couldn't really describe. Only that he'd seen that particular look when the Master spoke or thought about Callie- a certain predatory, animalistic glimmer that radiated with danger.

“An android, huh. . . What model was he? Did you manage to get any sort of identification on him?” The Master asked with an impatient and demanding tone. 

“Um. . . RK800 was on his jacket,” Gabriel answered, as he replayed the memory from earlier that day in his mind. “Miss Callie also called him Connor, sir.” 

The attractive man leaned on the back of the chair as an intense look of contemplation laced his features, attempting to formulate a viable strategy with the information he had just received. As much as he wanted Callie back by his side, specifically back in his bed, an unusual sense of curiosity washed over him at the mention of this Connor. Why had he never heard of this RK800? Is he an exclusive model? If he’s faster and stronger, what else is he capable of? How much of a problem would he turn out to be in the long run?

“Master, I promise you,” Gabriel began as he inched closer and placed a loving but cautious hand on the inside of the male's thigh. “I’ll get her back. You know I’d do anything to make you happy.” He whispered sincerely, never breaking eye contact as he reached up and palmed the large bulge growing in his pants. He leaned forward, placing a chaste kiss on his clothed boner before undoing his Armani belt and sliding his zipper down with his teeth. The Master stood still and emotionless as a statue as he watched the lovesick android pull his pants and underwear down far enough for his cock to fly out of its confines and slap his clothed belly softly. The tip was an angry beet red and radiated with warmth, practically begging for release.

Gabriel smiled in relief at the sight before him. Perhaps his Master would forgive him after all! He rejoiced, just as he stuck out his tongue and gently teased the irritated tip with a small kitten lick. A low hiss escaped past his lips harshly out of pure pleasure, encouraging the android to further his ministrations. With a motion as light as air, his pink muscle brushed over the veins beneath his cockhead and began to toy with the soft folds of skin, earning an uncontrollable jerk of his hips. The Master suddenly grabbed a fistful of Gabriel’s hair and shoved his cock roughly down his throat, forcing him to swallow it to the hilt.

“I don’t like being teased, Gabriel. . . You know that,” He hissed out as a slight tremor rattled through his body at the feeling of Gabriel’s warm wet mouth around the sensitive flesh. He groaned at the sudden intrusion, causing the Master to throw his head back at the pleasureful vibrations. His hips started to move on their own, rutting against his lips at a rough and ragged pace. Seeing his Master’s face twist in that beautiful, blissful look made literal electricity shoot all over his body, causing the gears of his motors to grind faster and generate more heat. He opened his mouth wider, trying to take as much of his cock as he could into his tight throat before nestling into the base of thick black curls.

Olive green eyes slowly fluttered in pure delight as he inhaled the intoxicating aroma of the curls deeply. They smelled like him, of the musky body wash and expensive cologne he used mixed with the sweet scent of his sweat. The smell of safety and security. Of home. Every time he thrusted wildly and impatiently down his throat, his huge balls would slap him in the face, forcing the scent into his nostrils and a wave of bliss through his biocomponents. 

Gabriel suddenly spits out his cock with a slight cough, leaving behind a long string of water-based lubricant. He gathered the thread with a pale hand as his mouth hovered above the head, drooling hot ropes of artificial saliva to coat him. 

“Please Master. . .” He begged, locking his pleading innocent eyes with the Master’s lustful half-lidded ones, pumping his spit over his shaft to ease the friction into slippery wetness. “Please forgive me.”

With both hands, he gently raised the tip to his lips and kissed it tenderly like a gentle lover. He pressed his soft plastic lips over every vein, down the curve, and over every bit of skin he had until his hot mouth met that delicate spot at his base- where his testicles met his shaft- and began to suck violently.

All breath suddenly seized from the Master’s lips, as if the air was sucked directly out of his lungs. Every muscle seemed to contract as a response to this brutal action as electricity pulsed through his body at extreme speeds, causing uncontrollable shivers to run up and down his vertebrae. To make matters worse, Gabriel began to flick the tip like a Bic lighter with his rough thumbnail, adding that bit of stimulation to nearly send him over Ecstasy's Edge. A pale plastic hand slowly trailed up and down his pant leg, inching tortuously closer until they softly squeezed his ballsack-

“Fuck!” He shouted airily as he threw his head back once again. Gabriel smiled slightly against the thick base contentedly. He loved the sweet cries that flooded his audio processors, how his Master practically used his mouth as his personal cocksleeve, and how he could make his entire body shake and tremble in pleasure. 

It made an incredible fuzzy feeling bloom in the left side of his front panel. A sensation he only ever experienced when he was with his Master. Just the thought of him, his velvety lips curling into that beautiful smile, how his sexy voice enunciated each syllable of his name, how his touch was warm and loving, yet harsh and dominating. . . Every little detail about him sparks the warmth into an electric wildfire all over his body. It’s all he could think about. All he will ever need or want. A blissful flame of pleasure he never wants to burn out. 

And it never will burn out. As long as he keeps his Master happy. 

A moan echoed through his mouth as he sucked the sweet spot like a delicious piece of candy, savoring the tasty flavor and the soft texture of flesh between his lips. His hand massaging his enormous balls with a gentle rolling motion of his palm and occasionally giving them a firm squeeze, creating a pleasurable rhythm.

Black pupils were blown wildly against their ashen borders in fiery delight, as a shade of pink ran down the sharp mountains of the Master’s cheekbones, past the quivering lump of his Adam's apple, and disappeared from view under the collar of his shirt. Even in the low light, his flush of color was as noticeable as a neon sign in the dimly lit room.

All of a sudden, Gabriel removed his hold on his cock with a distinct _pop_ , taking a moment of pride to observe the reddish-purple bruise he left in between his balls. But only for a moment. A loud dissatisfied groan echoed throughout the study with evident anger, causing the deviant to snap his head up at the man before him with wide eyes and a slightly hung open jaw.

"Did I _fucking_ say you could stop?!" The Master roared, wrenching his grip on Gabriel's dark tufts back and forced his large cock into the android's mouth at a terrifying pace, nearly drilling a hole in the back of his throat with each violent thrust. 

Water-based tears dripped down the apples of the MC500’s cheeks as he tried to open his mouth wider to accommodate his massive girth, but not by much. He could feel the resistance in the mechanisms of his jaw unit, the metals within practically warping from the Master's large size and rough speeds, slowly being destroyed.

It made a smile curl over Gabriel's full mouth.

Beneath the constellation of tears on his eyelashes, his gaze wandered all over the Master’s clothed body. Watching the beautifully sculpted muscles below the fabric clench and tighten with each wild plunge into his mouth. His Master’s storm colored eyes were lost in the back of his head, his lips hung open and released huffs of rapture that bordered on screams. 

Yes, only he was capable of making his Master feel this way, he truly believed. Only he gladly got on his hands and knees and allowed him to do whatever he wanted. If he wanted to fuck him, Gabriel would let him until his anal component was filled to the brim with his hot cum and destroyed beyond repair. If he wanted to tie him down to the bed and whip him, he would let him until Thirium had utterly saturated the bedsheets and dyed his skin blue. If he wanted to rip out his Thirium pump regulator, slice open his major arteries, put a gun to his head and blow his artificial brain out, he would _fucking_ let him. All with a smile on his face.

The Master owned him. Body, mind, and soul. And Gabriel was proud of it. He truly felt honored to serve the beautiful man in front of him, slurring breathless sighs and coos of pleasure while gorgeous grey eyes squeezed shut in overwhelming ecstasy. 

His grip on the russet strands between his fingers tightened drastically, his pace becoming more rigid and frantic by the second, nearly identical to the rhythm of his heavy breathing. Incoherent words spilled from his lips like prayers, his mind clearly lost in the swirling waves of ravenous lust that pushed him closer to the edge. Closer to that euphoric high he desperately craved, wanted, _needed._

Loud heaves and airy pants suddenly echoed off the walls like a drowning man gasping for air as Gabriel swallowed around his cock- causing the Master to double over and pull the android's face impossibly closer against his crotch. Gabriel could feel his dick begin to pulsate violently against the tight walls of his mouth as a light salty essence flooded over his taste sensors vigorously, signaling the imminent release of his delicious hot cum.

The deviant buried his cock further into the welcoming warmth of his throat, squeezing the Master's tight balls full of his heavenly seed firmly- sending him spiraling over the edge.

"Oh, fuck!" The darkness was immediately engulfed in bright white light. Powerful, euphoric waves shot like lightning throughout the Master's body, causing a decimation of all stability he possessed. He held onto Gabriel for dear life as he shot his creamy load in the back of his throat at harsh speeds.

The android's optical units rolled into the back of his head in bliss, nearly reaching his own cloud nine just as a single dollop caressed his tongue. He greedily savored the explosion of bitter flavor, welcomed every last drop that filled his mouth, and blissfully reveled in how the thick liquid slid down his throat so smoothly.

As he slowly came down from his high, the Master watched wearily as Gabriel feasted on his cum like a starved man- sucking his cock for any seed that remained, for practically anything he had to offer. It made a small satisfied smile curve on his lips.

"You're so good at that. . ." He breathlessly praised, running a hand through his soft hair with the sweet affection of a lover. His gentle touch captured Gabriel's attention, locking his steely orbs into innocent green ones as he removed his mouth off his limp cock with a pop. His hand trailed down from his hair onto his face, softly stroking the curves of his facial structure until it cupped his cheek tenderly. Gabriel hummed happily against his palm, closed his eyes and snuggled closer into the loving touch of his Master, his savior, his God.

The one person he trusts wholeheartedly.

The one and only person he'll ever love.

The man he deviated for.

Suddenly, the hand on his cheek roughly wrapped around his neck with a tight, punishing grip. Gabriel's eyes snapped open fearfully to meet a blazing inferno deep within the Master's cold ones. He lifted his body off the ground and onto his feet, pulling him in dangerously close.

"But you're not as good as Callie," he hissed through his teeth in ice-cold venom, glaring at his android with a look of pure hatred.

Tears silently fell in steady streams down his plastic cheeks, his mechanical heart shattered into a million pieces just by the Master's disappointed demeanor alone.

He should've tried harder, he immediately thought. Should've _killed_ that fucking RK800 at first sight. Should've just pressed the gun against his head and blew his fucking brains out. Nothing fancy, no unnecessary theatrics. A simple, easy job. Yet, he managed to fuck it up. He always manages to fuck it up somehow! Always finds a way to displease his Master.

"I'm-I'm s-so-" He cried out, just as he was tossed across the room. Like a sack of unwanted, _useless_ garbage.

"Get out of my sight," he heartlessly demanded, as he tucked his dick back into his pants and straightened his clothes.

The android heard his instructions loud and clear; they rattled around in his head like a holy mantra, demanding that he obey their words and carry out the task to completion. Yet his body couldn't move. He couldn't muster the strength to pick his mechanical figure off the floor. He couldn't do anything, other than sob heavily into the plush carpet.

How pathetic he must look right now. An android, the most versatile artificial being humanity has ever created, utterly defeated by a few harsh words and a single look.

"GET OUT NOW!" The Master screamed, immediately sending a wave of fear through Gabriel's body, causing him to jump from his position on the floor and dart out the room. Slamming the door behind him with a loud bang.

Once alone, the Master released a long deep sigh, one that relieved some of the frustration and aggravation the past 24 hours had collected. One, for just a moment, sent a ripple of peace through his stressed being. A cooling balm on a searing burn.

This whole situation is far from ideal, he thought. Had he'd known this plan would've taken this far of a turn, he would've never agreed to subject Callie to Andronikov's ludicrous experiments. Should've known better than to trust a commie, should've just ignored the large amount of money and extensive research he had upfront.

It's all his fucking fault _his_ Callie escaped! Why the fuck wasn't that bastard watching her while she was recovering?! How could someone be so careless?! That son of a bitch deserves a bullet between his eyes for losing what was rightfully his-

Breathe, he commanded as he inhaled sharply, instantly feeling his clouded anger begin to part in his mind.

 _I can't afford to be so impulsive_ , he rationalized. _Not with everything on the line- at risk for exposure._ The Master taps his stubbled chin, mentally analyzing every aspect of the current situation to the last detail. Looking for something that would give him an advantage over this newfound enemy and a way to get Callie back.

His sweet, precious Callie.

Suddenly, he pulls out his cell phone from his pocket, quickly scrolling through the rather long list of contacts hurriedly. A devious smile slowly curved on his lips when they landed on a particular name- _his_ name. The man that possibly knew everything he wanted to know.

Without hesitance, he tapped the name and brought the phone to his ear.

"Philip? How are you doing, old friend?... I'm good, I'm good. I was just wondering. . . What exactly do you know about this RK800 android?" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel so dirty writing this last part. I've never written a smut scene before, let alone a gay one. So please forgive me if it's terrible. I most likely will end up rewriting this entire chapter in the future anyways.  
> Please let me know what you think! Feedback is always appreciated.


	8. Scars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor receives a report early in the morning of a murder possibly involving an android and shows up at Hank's. (TRIGGER WARNING! Scars)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so so sorry! I had so much planned for this chapter that I didn't get around to, but it's been really difficult to write lately. I've recently been diagnosed with chronic migraines and I'm struggling to find the right treatment that works for me. Usually I can write one or two paragraphs before it gets so bad I have to stop. Plus, my motivation hasn't been the best this past month. But, hey, I did it! I finished the chapter! Yay!  
> Anyway, I'm gonna start writing shorter chapters, hopefully meaning I'll update more frequently.  
> Hope you enjoy!

**November 7th, 2038**

**08:23 A.M**

**(Connor's PoV)**

The brisk wind whispered through the bare trees like a warning in a foreign language. The frosty temperature wore the golden rays of sunshine as a mask, effectively disguising itself as beautiful late fall weather.

 _How incredibly deceptive,_ I thought coldly, watching as the suburban neighborhood beyond my window slid by like the turning pages of an electronic book. A strong sense of frustration coursed through my synthetic blood, a feeling I was reluctantly becoming more acquainted with as I progressed further into these investigations. Or, more accurately, my lack of progression.

Hours. Limited, precious hours I spent sorting through the vast amount of appointment transcripts, medical files, and schooling records- everything I was legally allowed to access- within the DPD's database. Skillfully scouring through the endless and somewhat derivative documents for any evidence against Callie's current nature, that she had any history of violent behavior or psychopathic tendencies.

Only to find nothing.

There was no solid proof that supported that deviant's accusation. Nothing that even suggested that Callie wasn't who she appeared to be, that Hank and I shouldn't trust her. 

The only thing of relativity I discovered was a few reports from her school for some very questionable behavior when she was eight years old- arguing with her teachers, leaving the classroom without permission, pushing a classmate down a flight of stairs... After completing some more research, I learned she was eventually diagnosed with ADHD and promptly placed on a successful management plan and medications soon afterward. According to her medical file, all aggressive and disruptive behavior diminished significantly one year after starting treatment. By the time she turned 16, she seemed to outgrow most of her symptoms. 

In other words, the only thing I managed to learn from my extensive and enduring analysis is that Callie has a mild form of ADHD- a detail I could've effortlessly determined in simple observations in less than a fraction of the time. Time that should've been spent studying the behavioral patterns of deviants. Should've been finding the similarities in all 243 files. Should've devoted more of my time to my primary mission, not Callie's.

I turned my head back toward the window, my gaze flickering upon the suburban outskirts of Detroit uninterestedly. Yet, I could feel my dissatisfaction begin to lower efficiently; my once clouded processors began to drift away in my mind like passing storm clouds.

 _I suppose this wasn't useless information,_ I thought with newfound clarity. It does explain her impulsive and reckless behavior, how she runs thoughtlessly into danger, the constant fidgeting with the hem of her jacket, and her easily excited demeanor at the mention of a possible adventure.

This does give me a better understanding of how her mind functioned. How she processed and responded to the unpredictable stimuli around her, the steps her mind creates when she encounters a problem and how quickly she can formulate a solution.

Perhaps studying and accommodating to her unique psychology can assist me in the recovery of her memories. Somehow help me understand what happened to her and solve her intriguing case. But how?

 _"You have reached your destination. Thank you for traveling with Detroit Taxis. We look forward to seeing you again."_ A female's electronic voice suddenly called out all around me, ripping me out of my immersed state and launched me back to reality.

As the automated doors slid open, I stepped out of the vehicle and into the frosty silence of my new environment. The cold air brushed against my synthetic skin with the gentleness of a tender kiss, yet it pierced my sensors with the jagged harshness of broken glass.

 **34°F** , an alert appeared in the corner of my eye just as I folded my arms across my chest, bringing them closer to my body out of instinct. I heeded to the warning flashing in my vision with red intensity, jogged up the cracked concrete pathway onto the porch, and hurriedly knocked on the wooden door.

No response.

"Lieutenant Anderson?" I called through the door in a louder tone than I usually use. After a few moments of unproductive silence, I noticed a doorbell on the tan wooden trim in the corner of my eye and pressed the small white button.

RIIIIIIINNNNGGGG!!!!

RIIIIIIINNNNNGGGGG!!!!!!

"I'M COMIN'!" A hoarse, boisterous voice suddenly boomed through the door unexpectedly. "Christ Almighty. . . Keep your damn pants on."

I could hear a series of numerous locks unturning, of a chain lock sliding across its metal track and the distinct click of a deadbolt retracting before meeting face to face with a disheveled Hank. His silver hair was in complete disarray, appearing as if he had just rolled right out of bed. His nightclothes, a grey Detroit Police Department t-shirt that has seen better days and a pair of long black sweatpants, still held the imprints of his bedsheets in their fabrics, appearing even more wrinkled.

"Good morning, Lieutenant. I hope you slept well." I greeted the man with a cheery tone along with the brightest smile I could manage. Unfortunately, the look that appeared on the Lieutenant's face had the opposite effect I was expecting. A deep scowl spread across his features in pure annoyance. Perhaps he's upset that I woke him up?

"For fuck's sake, Connor! Do you have any idea what time it is?!" He yelled.

"It's 8:26, Lieutenant," I answered his question with confidence, only receiving an annoyed huff and a roll of his sky blue eyes as a response. 

"Why are you here?"

"A man was just found dead outside his home 1 hour and 2 minutes ago. Your presence at the scene was urgently requested."

He sighed at my statement, and he leaned his tired form against the doorframe. The Lieutenant seemed to have given my words some thought before he spins himself around and walks away.

"Bastard's already dead. He can wait another hour or five," he said as he stumbled with fatigue across a small living area.

"But Lieutenant-"

"And close that door! You're lettin' all my heat out!" He commanded over his shoulder, just as he turned down a small hallway.

I stood at the doorway slightly frozen, not entirely sure whether his words were an invitation to enter or an order to leave. Deciding to proceed with the mission, I crossed the threshold and entered into a living room. It was small but comfortable. Serving its purpose for only one resident and a few houseguests, I suppose.

Careful with every move I made, I closed the door behind me as quietly as I could. My eyes couldn't help but study the various locks that were recently installed along the edge on the door. No doubt an extra security precaution regarding Callie's safety, I assumed.

I turned the golden deadbolt with a sudden twist of my wrist in that very instant before turning on my heel and followed Hank's invisible tracks down the small hallway. Just to find the tired older man face down onto his equally disheveled bed.

"Lieutenant?" I questioned his strange behavior with an arched brow. A muted, strangled groan escaped the back of Hank's throat at the sound of my voice, resonating close to a defeated and irritated sob.

"Just give me five more minutes," he mumbled into his sheets as he grabbed his pillow and covered his head, effectively shielding out the bright light that peeked under the window blinds. And to most likely shield out my presence as well. "It's too early to deal with this bullshit."

"Alright. But only five minutes," I reluctantly agreed to his terms, with the only intention to avoid as much conflict with Hank as possible. Our relationship was improving, despite how he chose to express it. Perhaps it was because of the sincere apology I gave for my behavior, or maybe he was genuinely grateful that I saved his life yesterday. Whatever the factor was, it was a beneficial progression in our partnership. Progression that I can't afford to jeopardize. 

I stepped back out into the hallway as loud, guttural snores echoed off the man's bedroom walls in intimidating rumbles, signaling my cue to leave. I gently closed the door behind my figure before strolling aimlessly down the hall and into the kitchen. 

With an observant gaze, my eyes traced the neat edges of the oak cabinets suspended to the walls, unconsciously counted the tower of dirty dishes beside the sink, and browsed the various flyers and takeout menus pinned to the refrigerator's magnetic surface. 

My optical units widened suddenly with curiosity as they fell upon two bright orange pill bottles sitting amidst empty pizza boxes and Chinese takeout containers on the kitchen table. Curiously, I scanned their contents. 

**ANTIBIOTIC**   
****Keflex (CEPHALEXIN) 250mg  
Treat/prevent bacterial infections****

**OPIOID**  
 **Percocet (OXYCODONE HYDROCHLORIDE) 5mg, (ACETAMINOPHEN) 325mg  
** **Relieve moderate to severe pain**

 _Both prescribed to Callie, most likely to help treat the severe 3rd-degree burns,_ I concluded before setting the bottles back in their place. 

Wait, where is Callie? 

I spun on my heel back into the living room at the thought as I quickly peered over the edge of the tan couch, hoping to find a peacefully sleeping half-android woman snuggling into the plush cushions comfortably. Only to find an empty space, unfortunately. 

I could practically feel my LED whirling furiously inside my temple. I scanned the room before me, observing every minuscule detail for any clue that could lead me to Callie's current location. In the far corner, my sensitive audio processors picked up soft snores emanating from a large furry animal curled up in a tight ball. 

Cautiously, I approached the sleeping dog and knelt beside him, observing every slight move he made, trying to determine how he would react to my presence. 

"Sumo, where's Callie?" I calmly asked the fluffy St. Bernard as if he would answer, before slowly extending my hand above his nose, silently requesting to touch him. He lifted his tired head off the cushion of his dog bed, briefly breathing in the scent emitting off my plastic skin as if it would determine if I was a friend or a threat. A small smile slowly perched on my features as Sumo's tongue lapped at my fingertips momentarily before plopping his massive head back down on his bed drowsily. Remarkably resembling his owner, I mused playfully. 

An amused chuckle escaped past my lips at the thought as I patted the large dog on the head before emerging from my knelt position back onto my feet, strolling back to his owner's bedroom. 

"Lieutenant?" I asked in a gentle tone as I slowly approached the sleepy man with a great deal of caution. However, it didn't seem to matter.

"Do you have a death wish, Connor?" He mumbled, yet I could hear the annoyance with bitter intensity. One blue eye suddenly shot open, staring me down with an aggressive look that made death seem luxurious.

"Where's Callie?" I asked in a level tone, yet I avoided his wrathful gaze as much as I could. 

"Guest room," He grunted, lazily gesturing down the hall. "Now leave me alone."

I nodded at his statement before pulling the door shut behind me as I stepped out into the hall. My gaze traveled toward the direction Hank had pointed in until my optical units landed on a white door further beyond.

Slowly, I approached the door and turned the doorknob with a gentle twist of my wrist, pushing the door open carefully, not wishing to scare the woman behind the wooden barrier. Placidly, I entered a room wholly shrouded in thick darkness. I launched my scanner and examined my dark environment, quickly locating a lamp atop what I assumed was a bedside table and turned it on, illuminating the gorgeous yet simple grey bedroom in bright golden light.

My eyes briefly studied her living space, momentarily. On the other side of the room, a large set of bolted shut bay windows nearly took up the entire wall as thick blackout curtains draped elegantly in front of their panels, making it impossible for a single shred of bright morning sunshine to enter the room. 

A large ornate wooden dresser stood directly against the wall in front of the bed with a sizeable mounted mirror on top. Beside it sat an antique roll top writing desk with an open sketch pad and drawing pencils laid across its surface. I could briefly make out the intricate dark outline of a girl peering over the edge of a cliff surrounded by a sea of mist. It was dark and eerie, yet there was something in its nature that was hauntingly beautiful. Something that would mystify yet terrify anyone.

"Turn that off," a small, raspy voice suddenly called out from beside me irritably. My head immediately snapped at the sound, slightly startled, until I focused my sights on a small ball curled up on the left side of a grey queen-sized bed with the plush duvet pulled up over its head.

I couldn't help the smile tugging at the edges of my lips at this sight. Callie somehow managed to bury herself into the plethora of grey and white pillows along the top of the bed, desperately trying to block out the electricity that beamed throughout the room.

"Callie, wake up," I cooed in a sing-song tone before shifting my weight on the edge of the extremely comfortable mattress, beginning to understand why she doesn't want to get up. 

The white mound groaned tiredly at my words as it rolled over onto its side, facing me. The blankets pushed off her head in a wave-like motion, revealing a scrunched up pale face, likely a sensitive reaction to the sudden brightness. Her unruly hair splayed chaotically across the grey pillowcase, yet the strands fanned out gracefully like an angelic halo.

"What's going on?" She murmured as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes with the heel of her palm.

"We have another case to investigate," I answered. My eyes immediately focused on her face, watching every twitch and movement with a studious gaze, silently waiting for that sparkling excitement to light up in her eyes like the stars.

"What kind of case?" She asked with a hint of curiosity in her groggy tone.

"A murder investigation. A man was found dead outside his home on the other side of town."

There it was. Immediately as those words left my speech synthesizer, Callie's crystal blue eyes lit up brighter than a thousand suns with enticing excitement and instantly abandoned all trace of exhaustion. The exact reaction I had eagerly anticipated. 

Her relaxed form sat up from her comfortable position with a sudden jerk. The grey and white covers gathered into her lap as she gently stretched her arms above her head, revealing the glossy purple silk of her nightclothes.

"I just need a few minutes to freshen up and get ready," she assured in a newly awakened tone, peeling the blankets off her body and swinging her legs over the mattress's edge. I nodded in response and rose from my spot, watching as she rummaged through dozens of shopping bags littered at the foot of her bed. 

"There you are," Callie muttered to herself as she pulled a fluffy white bathrobe out of a pink paper bag and draped it over her arm. After gathering a few more things from around the room, she made her way into the bathroom, practically skipping with insuppressible excitement.

An amused smirk tugged at the corners of my lips at the woman's unique response. Out of the few people I have encountered on this mission, Callie was the most interesting. She had faced unfathomable horrors in her past, had her fair share of tragedies and anxieties in the last two days alone, has next to no recollection of her history, yet she seemed to maintain a positive outlook on the whole situation. It was rather impressive, admirable even. 

But I can't help but wonder how authentic was her happiness? Was it all just a facade? Is she truly happy, or is she hiding her true feelings? Masking her despair with a broken smile, hoping to convince the entire world, perhaps even herself, that everything is alright?

The distant roar of running water sent me spiraling out of my deep thoughts and back to the present. I really should try to wake the Lieutenant again; I supposed as I strolled out of Callie's quarters and approached Hank's door purposefully. Gently, with a curled knuckle, I knocked on the Lieutenant's bedroom door before pushing it open. 

"Lieutenant-" 

_CRASH!_

Just as I barely formulated a proper sentence, an alarm clock was suddenly thrown against the wall beside me- nearly colliding with my face violently. My dark brown optical units blinked several times out of slight shock, trying to process what had just occurred. 

"GET THE HELL OUT!" Hank's strident tone angrily boomed. 

"Lieutenant, it's been five minutes. It's time to wake up." I stated firmly, stepping around the broken mechanical remnants on the floor. 

"Jesus, am I the only cop in the world?" He groaned bitterly under his breath as he sat upon the edge of his bed. "Can't you just go without me?"

He looked at me with a broken and depressed look deep within his eyes, something I've never seen him use before. It was almost as if he was begging to be left alone. 

"Unfortunately, I cannot. I've been programmed to assist you in these investigations, and I can't do this without you." 

"Well, I don't give a shit about your goddamn investigation!"

"Lieutenant-"

"Beat it! You hear me?! Get the hell outta here!" He roared in a loud, angry voice that barely startled me. Transiently, I held my tongue, deciding it would be wise to choose my next words carefully. It's evident that he's furious and greatly aggravated, what I say could either worsen or improve the situation. 

"I understand," I said, sauntering back toward the bedroom door. "It probably wasn't very interesting anyway. I sincerely hope you come to terms with your personal situation. Have a nice day, Lieutenant." 

Just as I was about to close the door behind me, a disgruntled voice suddenly spoke, freezing me in my tracks. 

"This homicide…What do we know about it?" 

A small side smirk blossomed on the edge of my lips triumphantly. Hopefully, small enough for the man not to notice. 

"A man was found dead outside his residence on the other side of town. A neighbor reported a loud disturbance during the night, and when officers went to investigate, they discovered his body along with severed android components."

"So an android might be involved in his death… Christ, alright. I'll get ready." He sighed defeatedly, before reluctantly standing up and strolling over to his closet. 

"I'll leave you to change then," I nodded as I stepped out into the hall, closing the door behind me. It already seemed this mission has a high probability of success, much unlike the past two incidents. 

"Hey, Connor? Can you please help me with something?" Callie suddenly asked in an uncharacteristically sheepish tone. I snapped my head towards her voice, finding the small woman peering through the opening of her partially closed bedroom door, shielding most of her figure with a light rosy pigment brushed across her cheeks. 

"Of course," I said, slowly approaching her. "What do you need?" 

"I-uh. . ." She stammered, fidgeting slightly in her spot for a moment and refusing to meet my gaze. Why was she acting so timid all of a sudden? I wondered, tilting my head to the side as potential causations for her behavior flooded my processors. 

Shyly, she shifted behind the door, slowly opening it further- 

Oh. 

I suddenly understood the reason behind her strange behavior. Her upper body was completely exposed, except for a white bra covering one of her most intimate areas and a pair of black high-waisted skinny jeans shielding the others. I couldn't help but briefly trail my eyes over the surface area of her milky white skin, observing how it curved and conformed to her small frame so smoothly and gently, especially into the soft dips of her waist and over the high arches of her bruised collarbone. Unconsciously, I counted and connected the small freckles dotted across the pale canvas of her flesh, almost resembling constellations in an inverted night sky. It was. . . beautiful. 

"I'm. . . I'm just having trouble wrapping my shoulder," Callie said quietly as she gestured towards her arm with a roll of gauze in her hand, still refusing to look me in the eyes. 

"Here, let me." I reassured with a small smile, taking the gauze roll and slightly unraveling the end. 

"These are the instructions," She mumbled, before retrieving a sheet of paper off her bed and handed it to me. My eyes danced over every word while syncing their directions into my memory instantaneously before setting it back down. 

"Turn around for me, please." I directed her movements in a kind tone. A shaky sigh escaped past her parted lips with a nod, as she reluctantly obliged and spun to face her bed. I gathered the long pale strands cascading in soft waves down her back with one hand and brushed them over her right shoulder gently- 

My eyes widened at the gruesome sight before me. Dozens, if not hundreds of firm, rubbery lesions layered across the expanse of her back in punishing, slash-like patterns. Some were pale and almost blended in with her creamy skin, while others were an angry red and raised painfully against her flesh. What the hell happened to her?

 **KELOID SCARS  
** **Repeated marking over four years  
** **Caused by leather whip, cat o' nine tails**

**CALLIE WAS ABUSED?**

I examined the brutal and ruthless scars that covered the delicate white surface like bloody, enraged stains, studying the various angles and measuring how deep the scars ran, eventually recreating how the lashes were delivered in my mind. My entire surroundings were encased in a dark blue wave as my simulation program launched. A figure of a woman struggled and thrashed before me, her wrists bound tightly together and held above her head, suspending her body in the air- judging on how severely profound the lashes were against the taut skin. A genderless silhouette slowly approached her from behind with a leather weapon in hand. Once it got close enough, it pulled the weapon above its head, thrusting it down in maddening violence on the woman's back- 

I closed my program before the silhouette's strike landed. 

Even in a theoretical simulation, I couldn't watch what caused the horrific trauma beneath my fingertips. As much as I needed to know every last detail of how this impossible girl came to be, something- a voice? No. An inexplicable, unconscious command told me to stop. That what I was doing was somehow wrong as the same shameful sensation I experienced after invading her memories coursed through my veins. 

I snapped my eyes open and unconsciously scanned her back once again until they fell upon two simple letters severely cauterized into the muscle behind her right shoulder. 

'A.R.' 

Most likely initials, but to whom? Who did this to her? 

_'You can't have her.'_ Gabriel's threatening voice suddenly echoed throughout my mind intensely. ' _The Master has already claimed her as his.'_

 _Is this what that deviant meant?_ I wondered, stroking the raised scar tenderly with the side of my thumb. _The Master branded her like cattle? Whipped and flogged her viciously?_

I stood there absolutely flabbergasted as my eyes traced over every scar on her back as if they somehow formulated a message, held some sort of valuable insight into this Master's psychology. But I couldn't find any. All I could see was unfathomable anger and torment etched across her skin, screaming red from the abuse that lashed the pale flesh apart into painful lacerations.

How- why would anyone treat someone like this? How can someone lack so much humanity? 

I shook those thoughts away and glanced down at the roll of gauze in my hand. _I can't change what happened to her,_ I reasoned. _But I can help her get better._

Unrolling a bit of the gauze in one hand, I used the other to gently maneuver her left arm slightly upwards, granting me better access to her amputation wound. 

_Callie. . ._ I mentally sighed as I examined her injury. The area was incredibly irritated and swollen against the mechanical component. Her once snow-white skin was beaming red with anger, swelling over the metal and plastic much like the fluffy edges of a freshly baked muffin. Her unique purple blood dried against the mesh-like material embedded in her swollen skin in criss-cross patterns. 

I bit my tongue, effectively suppressing the urge to scold her for not being more careful while chasing that deviant. One, I'm not 100% certain that's entirely the cause for the irritation and swelling. It could be her body reacting and accommodating to the layer of transplanted skin. And two, she already got an earful from the Lieutenant for her behavior on the rooftop. And I'm sure she received a few more words after I took my leave yesterday. At this point, it would just be more salt in an incredibly painful wound. 

Holding the edge of the white bandage, I carefully began to wrap the material around the curve of her shoulder, adding the perfect amount of compression to treat the inflamed skin but not so much that it pinched against the edge of her prosthetic. With a gentle touch, I directed her right arm to rise slightly to the side, allowing me to wrap the remaining gauze beneath the band of her bra securely. 

"There. Finished."

"Thank you," she said, reaching across her bed and grabbing a long-sleeved white lace top before throwing it over her head. 

"When did you get new clothes?" 

"Hank took me shopping for some stuff after you went back to CyberLife yesterday," she answered with a slight smile as she pulled her long hair from the collar and draped the thick strands over her shoulder. My eyes briefly traveled across the material, noticing how it flared elegantly at her slender waist and gracefully flattered her body's shape. It greatly complimented the prominent curves of her hips and firm buttocks, especially against the pleasant tightness of her jeans-

**WARNING!  
 **Significant increase in body temperature****

"I see," I said, rather skittishly as my artificial breathing rate increased drastically in an attempt to cool my interior systems, forcing myself to tear my sights away from her… backside. "Finish getting ready while I make your breakfast."

"Oh, you don't have to-"

"It's recommended that you take your medications with a meal, not on an empty stomach." I explained, folding my hands behind my back in tight fists. 

"Okay," she mumbled, fiddling with the ends of her waist-length locks before peering over her shoulder, gracing me with a soft smile and warm look in her bright blue eyes. 

I could feel a smile perk on my lips as I turned and nearly jogged out her bedroom, closing the door behind me hurriedly. 

_What the hell is this?_ I wondered, leaning my form against the pale yellow drywall, desperate for temporary stability. A strange sensation burned like an undying fire in my lower front panel; I could feel my Thirium pump beating faster than average in my chest. 

But worst of all, we're the vile, inappropriate thoughts that flooded my processors. Thoughts I knew I _shouldn't_ be having.

My mind wondered what silky soft flesh laid hidden beneath those sinfully tight jeans, what gorgeous porcelain skin was waiting to be explored like uncharted territory. I could only imagine how it would feel- the stark contrast of hot flesh and blood against lukewarm plastic and Thirium. The temperature and texture difference alone was enough to make my sensors in my hands sing when we make brief contact, but imagining _that sensation_ all over my body-

**_Software Instability^_**

_Stop it, Connor!_ I snapped out of my thoughts, reality slowly fading in around me with each heavy breath I took.

_What the hell is wrong with me?_


End file.
